Originally the flags at the White House were lowered for the minimum hours. Trump said nothing about McCain. I guess the outcry became too great because the flags are back down and he finally said something. It’s obvious he’s only doing this because of the pressure. He’s a piece of crap as a human being. Sad!
Forget grudges. Forget past sniping. There is a gracelessness here by the president of the United States that Is simply appalling.
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) August 27, 2018
He simply does not believe the presidency is a position of moral leadership https://t.co/1La3oxO2Hj
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) August 27, 2018
Attention: critics of NFL players https://t.co/ESoXfiGGy0
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) August 27, 2018
EVERY reporter should ask Trump how he is honoring the flag and those that served by his behavior these past few days…and they should bring up McCain EVERY time he criticizes NFL players for taking a knee, going forward.
Do. Not. Let. This. One. Go. https://t.co/xtw7FhdWjk
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) August 27, 2018
The White House is now an island of bitterness and resentment in a nation united in respect and appreciation. https://t.co/QYJzXRWojQ
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) August 27, 2018
Doesn't matter. He made his point and showed who he is already. Doing this after a lot of arm-twisting is almost worse than doing nothing. https://t.co/8LBMjHSwtJ
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) August 27, 2018
A friend emails: “Of all the low life actions taken by the occupant of 1600 raising the flag this am at the White House was certainly in the running for the worst. It is an insult to all of us since it is not his house but ours.”
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) August 27, 2018
Pres. Trump statement on Sen. John McCain: pic.twitter.com/yXidpASfru
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) August 27, 2018
Trump has claimed that athletes who kneel are protesting "our great American flag" (they're not) and those who have fought and died for it. But he can't bring himself to honor a man who actually put his life on the line for what the flag represents. https://t.co/ywr311pH9B
— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) August 27, 2018
A defining feature of the Trump presidency is how he turns little things we never used to think about – condolence statements! flag-lowering decisions! stakeholder roundtables! – into controversies and brawls. Everything has to be something.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 27, 2018
Sen. Inhofe is supposed to be next chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, succeeding…Sen. John McCain. https://t.co/yJnXqynhAP
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) August 27, 2018
American Legion national commander's full letter to President Trump urging "that our nation’s flag be half-staffed through [John McCain's] interment." pic.twitter.com/uCXt5pDX89
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 27, 2018
There’s always a Trump scandal to draw on for comparison-The Mccain flag fiasco is taking on a Judge Curiel feeling-Trump’s friends are cringing privately and speaking of Trump’s smallness, and aides are trashing him in blind quotes. These things usually end badly for Trump.
— Nicolle Wallace (@NicolleDWallace) August 27, 2018
The Vietnamese government that tortured John McCain physically seems more sincere in its condolences than the American president who abused him verbally. https://t.co/WZDDfckuHZ
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) August 27, 2018
Under pressure from American Legion Trump orders flag lowered at White House and other govt buildings until @SenJohnMcCain's burial but the damage cannot be erased #Disrespect
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) August 27, 2018
"It's a shame that we had to have a public outcry just short of pitchforks and torches in front of the White House to get Donald Trump to grudgingly, slowly, fighting like a toddler…to do the right thing" – @TheRickWilson w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/3s2gJ6QVVv
— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) August 27, 2018
Speaks volumes that White House aides made sure we knew this was Trump’s doing not theirs>>> https://t.co/8tHBORHKsj
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) August 27, 2018
update 8/28
National Park Service employee tells me they got an email around 10am ordering flags at half staff. Around 2:30pm, email went out cancelling it and saying flag should go back to regular order. And around 5:30, another one went out saying to lower again.
— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) August 28, 2018
Sad! 