An unusual scene unfolded on the South Lawn of the White House this weekend, as the American flag was seen lying on the ground, a sight traditionally interpreted as a signal of 'dire distress.'
The Incident on the South Lawn
The event occurred on Sunday night when President Donald Trump returned to the White House from his Mar-a-Lago residence. The powerful rotor wash from the landing Marine One helicopter blew the Stars and Stripes from its newly-installed flagpole. Photographs captured the President walking past the downed banner, which was displayed with its union—the blue field of stars—facing the ground.
Understanding the US Flag Code
This incident directly touches upon the United States Flag Code, a federal law that outlines the proper etiquette for handling and displaying the flag. The code explicitly states that the flag should never be shown with the union down, unless as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
Furthermore, the law dictates that the flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground. When such accidental contact occurs, tradition calls for the flag to be respectfully disposed of or retired. The use of an inverted flag as a distress beacon is a practice with deep roots, dating back to naval warfare traditions even before the founding of the United States, and it has also been adopted as a potent form of protest.
New Flagpoles and White House Renovations
The flag in question was flying from one of two massive, nearly 100-foot-tall flagpoles that President Trump had installed on the White House grounds in June. The president has described these flags, positioned on the North and South lawns and visible across Washington, DC, as the 'most magnificent' he had ever seen.
These flagpoles are part of a series of renovations undertaken during the president's second term, which also includes a controversial new $300 million ballroom that required the demolition of the East Wing.
