White House proclamation orders flags at half-staff for late Sen. Lindsey Graham, while New Jersey officials drew scrutiny for reportedly skipping the directive

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation regarding the death of Senator Lindsey Graham that directs the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect for the senator’s “memory” and “longstanding service,” according to a White House posting published July 13.

The proclamation, listed on the White House Presidential Actions page under the heading “Death of Senator Lindsey Graham,” states it is issued “by the authority vested” in the president by the Constitution and laws of the United States. It directs the half-staff observance “as of” a specified date and time and instructs that the flags be returned to full-staff after the period of mourning described in the order.

Less than a week after the proclamation was posted, Fox News reported that New Jersey officials did not follow the flag directive tied to Graham’s death. The report focused on remarks from Joe Pennacchio, who criticized Representative Mikie Sherrill after New Jersey reportedly skipped the proclamation’s instructions for the lowering of flags.

Fox’s report characterized the dispute as part of a broader political battle, but it tied the immediate controversy to a specific administrative act: whether state officials complied with a federal ceremonial instruction that applies to flags in the United States. The report said Pennacchio called Sherrill “most political governor,” while also referencing Graham and the state’s flag-handling.

The White House posting provides the governing federal instruction, but the facts of New Jersey’s implementation in any particular location or agency were not confirmed in the material provided. Apex Times cannot independently verify from the supplied record whether flags were raised, left at full-staff, or handled differently at different New Jersey facilities.

If state officials treated the federal directive differently, the practical effect is primarily symbolic, but flag observances are also a recurring test of compliance with federal guidance that is often relied on for consistent nationwide ceremonial practice. It can also raise questions about coordination between federal proclamations and state-level protocol for public buildings, cemeteries, and official events.

The White House Presidential Actions page serves as the authoritative record for the federal order’s terms, including when flags should be lowered and when they should return to full-staff. The next step for any clarification would be documentation from New Jersey’s executive branch or other official channels showing what instructions were received and how they were implemented during the Graham mourning period.