Madison’s decision to keep flags at full staff draws rebuke from former Jets center Nick Mangold

This weekend, Madison, New Jersey, refused to lower its American flag in response to a presidential proclamation after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead on a Utah college campus. Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University, sparking nationwide memorials.

President Donald Trump ordered federal facilities to fly the flag at half-staff and encouraged the nation to commemorate Kirk’s death until sunset on September 14, 2025. The White House proclamation set the federal expectation, but it does not require states, counties, or municipalities to replace their flags.

Some local practices differed. Bergen County and certain borough facilities kept flags at full staff, citing state or local policy rather than White House direction. That decision was criticized by people and public figures as an insult to the president’s order and Kirk’s supporters.

Madison-based retired New York Jets center Nick Mangold called the borough’s decision “disgusting and saddened,” naming local and state authorities and calling it a moral crime. Mangold’s tweet highlighted how rapidly local decisions regarding symbols like the flag can become national talking topics and put a high-profile local voice at the heart of the dispute.

The flag status dispute highlights an important legal and practical point: while the president’s proclamation addresses federal property and sets a national tone, state and local governments retain authority over flags on their properties and often rely on preexisting rules or daily state guidance to lower them. That has caused local difference when the White House requests a uniform display. These contrasts can inflame party tensions, especially when honoring a divisive political figure, say observers.

Kirk’s killing and the national response have raised questions about political violence, public event security, and grieving symbols beyond the flag discussion. Local leaders are combining respect with protocol and community concerns as federal and state officials respond rapidly. As the incident is investigated, the story shows how local decisions over symbols, like a flag on a civic pole, may resonate beyond a town square.

Sources

Reuters
The White House
Daily Voice
X (formerly Twitter)
Snopes