Donald Trump Walking Past White House Flag On The Ground Has The Internet In A Patriotic Uproar

Donald Trump has been remaking the White House to his taste, and along with making gaudy changes to the Oval Office, he's installed two 88-foot-tall flagpoles, one on the north lawn and one on the south lawn. Those flagpoles reappeared in the news when Trump returned after a weekend at Mar-a-Lago, walking past one with seeming indifference despite the flag appearing to be on the ground. This is, of course, a big no-no. As Title 4 of the U.S. Flag Code states, "The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise," according to the Legal Information Institute.

An image of the American flag lying on the ground at the White House has circulated online, sparking questions and concerns. https://t.co/pJQ7HikP8i

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) November 17, 2025

The White House denied any faux pas, with spokesperson Davis Ingle explaining the situation in a statement. "This is fake news," Ingle told People, echoing one of Trump's favorite phrases. "Due to the high winds on Sunday evening in the Washington, D.C. area, the flag was lowered into a special container out of an abundance of caution during the Marine One landing." However, social media wasn't buying it.

In replies to the White House's official "rapid response" team on X (formerly Twitter) about the incident, people complained that their explanation just didn't cut it. One person wrote on X, "The photo clearly shows that one corner of the flag is in a folding Rubbermaid basket with the lower half resting on top of the flower bed. I pulled flag duty while in the Army; your handling of the flag is an embarrassment." One social media user commented on X, "Just admit you put the flagpole in a stupid location," while another sarcastically quipped, "Yes, that is exactly how Americans lower an American flag. The goal is to make it look like a pile of dirty socks on the floor."

Some people thought that Donald Trump walking past a downed American flag was a metaphor for his presidency. As one person wrote on X, "Trump's second term: even the flag knows it's time to hit the dirt and surrender to his chaos." It's not clear how long the flag was in this downed state; some on social media pointed out that people were seen near the flagpole, so they may have been attempting to fix the situation.

Not only did many people think the whole event was disrespectful, but others also pointed out that Trump looked particularly tired in the photo, almost as sleepy as he seemed during his Oval Office nap around this same time. One critic posted on X, "This photo practically reeks of stale rage, bad breath, cold French fries, and Aqua Velva. It's the visual definition of a man who's long past his expiration date." People have long questioned whether Trump's health is in serious decline or if he's as healthy as he claims to be. Not long before the photo with the flag, Trump was seemingly unable to stay awake during a meeting in the Oval Office, so some people think he's feeling just as down as the American flag he walked past.