The nation has been rocked by the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10, 2025. President Donald Trump responded swiftly, issuing a proclamation that all American flags be flown at half-mast across the country in Kirk’s memory. The order, announced on Trump’s Truth Social account, called for flags to remain at half-staff until 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 14, 2025, as a mark of respect for what Trump described as a “Great American Patriot.”
“In honor of Charlie Kirk, a truly Great American Patriot, I am ordering all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Sunday evening at 6 P.M.,” Trump declared, according to Click2Houston. Kirk’s death, occurring during his American Comeback Tour, has left his wife and two young children to mourn, and has ignited a national debate over the meaning and implications of such a public tribute.
The response from state leaders was immediate and, in many cases, supportive. North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong echoed Trump’s directive, urging all citizens to lower both state and U.S. flags until September 14. Armstrong described the shooting as “a senseless and horrible act,” and called on individuals to participate in the act of remembrance at their homes and workplaces. The Economic Times reported that this coordinated lowering of the flags was meant to honor Kirk’s memory in the face of tragedy.
However, the flag-lowering order was not without controversy. In Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey ordered that all flags in the state remain at half-staff through the weekend to mark Kirk’s death, in accordance with federal law. According to the Boston Herald, the move prompted swift backlash from liberal circles. Mara Dolan, a Democratic public defender and member of the Governor’s Council, publicly opposed the honor, arguing that Kirk’s political stances were fundamentally at odds with “Massachusetts’ historic values.” On GBH’s Boston Public Radio, Dolan said, “What happened was a terrible tragedy, a terrible tragedy for him, for his family, for his supporters and for the country. There was no question about that. The question is how do we respond? I mean, lowering the flag is a very high state honor. Do we give that to someone who disagrees and spoke out against what we believe in?”
Dolan’s criticism was echoed by some Massachusetts residents and local media personalities. Jim Braude, co-host of Boston Public Radio, voiced his discomfort: “I have to say, as a resident, I am offended that the flag of the state in which I live and vote has lowered to half-staff. It is troubling.” Dolan noted that her stance had received “an incredible amount of support,” with many expressing gratitude that she spoke up against the honor for Kirk.
Despite the pushback, Healey’s office clarified that Massachusetts law requires the state flag to be flown at half-staff whenever there is a presidential proclamation. “State law requires the flag of the Commonwealth to be flown at half-staff in accordance with Presidential proclamations,” Healey’s spokesperson Karissa Hand told the Boston Herald. Thus, all town and city halls, state-owned buildings, and military installations across the Bay State were required to comply until Sunday’s sunset.
Governor Healey, while following the law, condemned the assassination in no uncertain terms. In an X post, she wrote, “Violence has no place in our politics — ever. What happened to Charlie Kirk is horrific and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms. The growth of political violence in our country must be stopped.” She later shared a video from a Utah press conference announcing the arrest of Tyler James Robinson, 22, of Washington, Utah, who was charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice. Healey praised Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s call for a more peaceful politics, saying, “For our kids and generations to come, we have to choose a calmer, more peaceful way to do politics.”
In Illinois, the response followed a similar pattern but was further complicated by the overlap with Patriot Day and the annual remembrance of 9/11 victims. According to NBC Chicago, flags in Illinois were already scheduled to fly at half-staff on Thursday, September 11, for Patriot Day. Governor J.B. Pritzker issued an additional order for flags to be lowered from sunset Friday through sunset Sunday to honor “victims of political violence,” specifically referencing Kirk’s assassination. President Trump’s order covered all federal buildings, military posts, and naval vessels, while Pritzker’s directive applied to state facilities. Not every flag in the state was subject to these orders, leading to some confusion at the municipal level.
In Aurora, Illinois, Mayor John Laesch explained the city’s decision to raise municipal flags to full staff on Friday after completing their 9/11 remembrance. “I recognize that some employees and community members may not agree with this decision, but lowering the flag is a solemn act that carries great weight,” Laesch said in a statement. “The choice to do so should not be made cavalierly. Doing so diminishes the importance of the remembrance of tragedies like September 11, 2001.” Some residents questioned the move, highlighting the ongoing tensions over how and for whom this national symbol of mourning should be used.
The debate over the flag order also played out in schools and on social media. At least three Massachusetts school districts—Sharon, Framingham, and Wachusett Regional—announced investigations into teachers who made comments online celebrating Kirk’s assassination. The Boston Herald reported that these districts are taking the matter seriously, underscoring the deep political divisions that Kirk’s death and the national response have exposed.
Meanwhile, the Boston Police Department acknowledged on social media that flags would remain at half-staff at state and city agencies through Sunday, but a related post was later deleted. The department and Mayor Michelle Wu’s office did not respond to inquiries about the deletion, adding another layer of intrigue to the unfolding story.
Through all the controversy, one fact remains clear: the assassination of Charlie Kirk has sparked a nationwide reckoning over political violence, the meaning of public mourning, and the role of national symbols in a deeply divided country. As flags return to full staff at sunset on Sunday, the conversations and questions raised by this tragedy are certain to linger far longer than the official period of mourning.
