NY and NJ skipped flag order for Charlie Kirk despite Trump directive
- Jay Costa
- Sep 17
- 2 min read
New York and New Jersey did not issue orders to lower flags for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, leaving Bergen County under fire for following state protocol instead of President Trump’s proclamation.
Trump signed a directive Wednesday ordering U.S. flags nationwide lowered through Sunday at 6 p.m., calling Kirk “a truly Great American Patriot.”
Flags at the White House came down that afternoon.
But in New Jersey, the official state flag status listed “full staff,” and Bergen County followed suit. New York also kept their flag status high, while Pennsylvania and Delaware complied with Trump’s directive.
State officials said New York plans to direct flags to be lowered on the day of Kirk’s funeral, consistent with past practice for other high-profile deaths like Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Corey Comperatore, the Pennsylvania firefighter slain in last year’s Trump rally.
Several other counties and municipalities in New Jersey did the same. A spokesperson for the Bergen County Executive’s Office told The Post the county follows the state’s daily guidance, which that day called for full staff.
The county also reiterated the policy in a Facebook post, adding it “condemns all forms of political violence and rejects hate in every form.”
The move infuriated conservatives who said the county was defying Trump.
“The Bergen County Democrats refuse to lower the flags to half-staff for the assassination of Charlie Kirk and have ignored federal orders to do so!” Republican commissioner candidate Jay Costa blasted on Instagram. “Truly despicable! They deserve to lose in November.”
Experts note that while the president can mandate flags on federal property, states and local governments don’t have to comply.
“States, businesses and private individuals have the choice to follow the federal government or not,” vexillologist Michael Green told NJ Advance Media.
Kirk, 32, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot Tuesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. His death has sparked a wave of tributes, and political fights, across the nation.
Police have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspected shooter. Federal agents have raided his Utah apartment and childhood home as the investigation develops.
Comments