Trump Pulls About Face, Will Order Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Capital Gazette Shooting Victims

President Donald Trump is pulling an about face.

One day after it was reported that the president denied a request from the Mayor of Annapolis, MD to order U.S. flags be flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the Capital Gazette shooting, Trump is reversing course, and will issue a proclamation shortly mandating that flags be flown at half-staff.

CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller reported the news via Twitter:

Pres Trump to issue proclamation shortly ordering flags to half-staff to honor Capital Gazette staffers killed last week. Annapolis Mayor says his initial request to the WH for flags to be lowered was declined.

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 3, 2018

Trump was widely criticized for the earlier decision not to lower the flag. Annapolis, MD Mayor Gavin Buckley told the Gazette Monday that he was upset by Trump denying his request.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed, you know? … Is there a cutoff for tragedy?” Buckley said. “This was an attack on the press. It was an attack on freedom of speech. It’s just as important as any other tragedy.”

UPDATE 9:00 a.m. ET — It’s official.

President Trump orders flags flown at half-staff in honor of the Capital Gazette shooting victims. There was some reporting yesterday that the White House declined this request. Sanders said today that Trump made the decision after he heard about the Annapolis mayor's request. pic.twitter.com/WSIZVM5v3s

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 3, 2018

[featured photo via screengrab]

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Follow Joe DePaolo (@joe_depaolo) on Twitter

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