California, Colorado to join red states in raising flags for Trump’s inauguration

Gavin Newsom is the most prominent Democratic governor directing that American flags in his state fly full-staff for Donald Trump’s second Inauguration Day, in what could be an attempt to cool down his feud with the president-elect.

California will temporarily raise the flags at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Monday, a move that aligns with Speaker Mike Johnson’s directive for full-staff flags to honor Trump in the U.S. Capitol and counters President Joe Biden’s order that all flags be lowered to half-staff for 30 days following former President Jimmy Carter’s death last month.

The flags at the U.S. Capitol and in Sacramento will be lowered again on Tuesday to finish out Carter’s mourning period.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is another leading Democratic governor who will be temporarily raising his state’s flags in the same fashion. Polis has welcomed many priorities of the incoming administration from deporting dangerous criminals to the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, while opposing others like Trump’s proposals to raise tariffs.

Other blue states with nationally recognized governors including Illinois, New Jersey and New York, appear to be keeping their flags half-staff. And plenty of red states from Texas to Florida will raise their flags on Jan. 20.

It’s unclear how Georgia, Carter’s home state led by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, will handle the flag question.

California’s buy-in to the symbolism of the new administration comes as tensions have been ratcheting up between Newsom and the president-elect. Trump has slammed Newsom for his response to the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles, blaming the governor for the spread of the fires in a post on Truth Social.

“I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this,” Trump wrote, after referring to him as “Gavin Newscum.”

Newsom’s office shut down Trump’s claims, saying “The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need.” The pair have yet to connect by phone about the fires.

Trump and Newsom’s relationship has been sour for years. Trump previously threatened California’s federal disaster relief funding for political reasons, and Newsom has been gearing up to mount resistance in his state to Trump’s second term.

But now, Newsom may be using a flag as an olive branch.

Trump, who deeply values pomp and circumstance, previously chastised Democrats for being “giddy” at the prospect of flags being half-mast during his oath of office. “Nobody wants to see this,” he wrote on Truth Social.

After Johnson’s announcement that the flags would be raised, at least 18 Republican governors followed suit, publicly announcing they will fly American flags full-staff to honor the ceremony. In their statements, many of the state leaders referenced a 1947 federal statute stating the flag should be displayed on several official and unofficial holidays, including Inauguration Day.

Of the 12 Democrat-led states POLITICO contacted, five confirmed they will continue to follow Biden’s guidance of having flags at half-mast.

That leaves Newsom as the most prominent Democrat in the country embracing Trump’s pomp and circumstance as he is set to regain control over federal disaster relief spending decisions — perhaps setting the tone of their relationship for the next four years.

“President Trump has an opportunity,” Newsom said in a video posted to his X account this week. “You’ll be elevated, Mr. President. At the end of the day, you’ll be the one we all go to and say thank you.”

Shia Kapos, Nicole Norman, Nick Reisman and Dustin Racioppi contributed to this article.

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