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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Issues: flag

False Claim of ‘No Flag’ Above White House

False Claim of ‘No Flag’ Above White House
January 20, 2021

Before President Joe Biden’s inauguration, social media users shared a false claim that there was no flag flying over the White House — suggesting it was a sign that the military had taken control of the government. In fact, the flag was flying above the White House on Jan. 20, and Biden is president.

Gifting a Folded Flag Isn’t ‘Only For Fallen Veterans’

Gifting a Folded Flag Isn’t ‘Only For Fallen Veterans’
June 18, 2020

Headlines on social media misleadingly suggest that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi violated a military tradition when she gave a folded flag to the brother of George Floyd. A folded flag is not “Reserved Only For Fallen Veterans,” as one headline claims. Members of Congress routinely present flags that have flown over the U.S. Capitol as gifts.