Main Points: ‘Dire Distress’ Signal at the White House
- An American flag was spotted lying on the South Lawn of the White House.
- The flag was blown down from one of Donald Trump’s newly installed flagpoles by the rotor wash of Marine One as it landed.
- According to the U.S. Flag Code, the flag should never be displayed upside down except as a signal of “dire distress” in extreme danger to life or property. It also should not touch the ground.
- Tradition holds that if a flag touches the ground, it should be retired or disposed of respectfully.
- Upside-down flags have historically been used as distress signals in naval warfare and as protest symbols, including during the Civil War.
- Trump installed two large flagpoles (nearly 100 feet tall) on the White House grounds in June, calling them the “most magnificent” he had ever seen.
- These flagpoles are part of broader renovations during his second term, including a controversial $300 million ballroom project that required demolishing the East Wing.
Sources
Information summarized from
MSN News – ‘Dire distress’ signal spotted at White House
.
Leave a Reply