Multiple US Cities Defy Orders to Lower Flags for Charlie Kirk

Following the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation ordering U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide in his honor. However, compliance with this order varied significantly across the country. In Detroit and Oakland County, flags were not lowered due to administrative errors, while in Aurora, Illinois, Democratic Mayor John Laesch ordered flags to remain at full staff, sparking controversy and direct orders forbidding lowering the flags. In Lexington, Massachusetts, a flag lowered to half-staff was vandalized and raised back to full staff, prompting a police investigation. Bergen County, New Jersey, also faced backlash for not lowering flags, citing state policy that conflicted with the presidential order, leading to public criticism and calls for adherence to the directive. These incidents illustrate the politicization and local resistance surrounding the observance of the flag-lowering order in memory of Charlie Kirk.