Political analysts and commentators slammed a social media post on Sunday by Alina Habba, the Trump administration's acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Last week, President Donald Trump ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination. While the order applies to federal properties, some conservatives have called on private citizens to comply with Trump's order as well.
"Flags were ordered to be lowered by the President of the United States. Lower. Your. Flags," Habba's post reads.
Political analysts and commentators responded to Habba's claim on social media.
"Remember when Trump made them raise flags for his inauguration despite (sic) half-staff order for Jimmy Carter's death…oh and remember when he didn’t want to lower flags for John McCain and only did it after getting pressured by John Kelly and others….Habba should sit this one out!" political commentary account Wu Tang is for the Children posted on X.
"I don’t know what is more revealing about this post: that a US Attorney would imply that the President can order private citizens and businesses to comply with his directed speech in violation of the 1st Amendment or that the current administration is really uninterested in liberal democracy," retired Naval officer Dave Petri posted on X.
"Hey, remember when Trump had to be shamed into lowering flags for John McCain? I do,' journalist Matt Johnson posted on X.
"The Flag Code is advisory, not mandatory," retired imagery scientist Gary Fuller posted on X. "The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed...that the government cannot compel private citizens to display or treat the flag in a certain way, since that would violate the First Amendment."
"If you are an agency of the federal government. Everyone else is free to choose," history professor and lawyer William Turner posted on X.
