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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Biden Issued Proclamation to Fly Flags at Half-Staff

Biden Issued Proclamation to Fly Flags at Half-Staff

President Joe Biden issued a proclamation honoring those who died in the attack at the Kabul airport Aug. 26 and calling for flags to be flown at half-staff. But a meme has been circulating on Facebook with the false claim that no such order had been issued.

False Claim of ‘No Flag’ Above White House

False Claim of ‘No Flag’ Above White House

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’

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.