President Trump denied requests to lower American flags to half-mast in honor of the five people gunned down last week inside a newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, that town’s mayor said Monday.
While the state of Maryland has ordered flags lowered in honor of those killed at The Capital Gazette newspaper, Trump declined the bid for federal recognition, according to Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley.
The mayor said he learned of Trump’s thumbs down from Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Annapolis).
“Obviously, I’m disappointed, you know?” Buckley said. “Is there a cutoff for tragedy?”
The White House has lowered flags for other, recent mass shootings – such as the 17 killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland, Florida, in February, and the 10 cut down in May at Santa Fe HS in Santa Fe, Texas.
“This was an attack on the press,” Buckley said. ”It was an attack on freedom of speech. It’s just as important as any other tragedy.”