Mayor Karen Bass Defies Presidential Order on Charlie Kirk Flag Tribute
CBR, 2025
written by a member of the WCB
The recent directive from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass instructing city fire stations to maintain American flags at full staff, directly contradicting President Donald Trump’s national proclamation regarding Charlie Kirk, has ignited significant debate regarding municipal autonomy and national protocol adherence.
On September 10, 2025, President Trump issued an official proclamation ordering American flags at federal buildings, military installations, and public facilities nationwide to be lowered to half-staff through September 14 in recognition of Kirk following his untimely death. This executive action falls within established presidential authority to designate national mourning periods.
However, on September 12, Mayor Bass’s administration distributed an internal memorandum to Los Angeles Fire Department stations explicitly directing personnel to maintain flags at full staff unless receiving alternate instructions directly from the mayor’s office. This countermanding of federal protocol represents an unprecedented municipal rejection of presidential mourning declarations.
Multiple LAFD stations reportedly exercised independent judgment by lowering their flags despite the mayoral directive, creating visible inconsistencies across city facilities. One 25-year LAFD veteran, speaking anonymously due to potential administrative repercussions, expressed significant concern, stating: “The core beliefs of all LAFD members are service to the people, regardless of who, where, when, how and why. This notice is an insult to what LAFD boots on the ground do.”
Administration defenders, including USC law professor Jody Armour, have presented legal justification for Bass’s position, arguing that Kirk’s status as a political commentator rather than an elected official, military service member, or first responder places him outside traditional criteria for national flag protocols. Professor Armour further suggested that Kirk’s controversial political positions complicate public mourning requirements.
“He made a lot of very negative statements about lots of socially marginalized groups who are now being asked to celebrate that life that was dedicated to vilifying them,” Armour stated. “We don’t have someone who is a first responder, or a soldier, or a federal official, or even local official, an elected official. We have an influencer.”
This incident raises significant questions regarding federalism and local government autonomy. While presidents maintain constitutional authority to direct federal facilities, municipal compliance with such directives has traditionally been considered obligatory through established precedent rather than explicit statutory requirement.
The Bass administration is not isolated in this position. Similar directives emerged from Democratic Mayor John Laesch of Aurora, Illinois, despite proclamations from both President Trump and Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. This suggests emerging partisan patterns in flag protocol adherence rather than isolated administrative decisions.
Constitutional scholars note that while presidential proclamations carry significant ceremonial weight, enforcement mechanisms for municipal compliance remain limited. This incident potentially establishes concerning precedent for selective recognition of national mourning periods based on political considerations rather than established protocol.
The Mayor’s office has not responded to multiple requests for comment regarding decision criteria or legal justification for the directive. Similarly, LAFD administration has declined to address reported non-compliance among station personnel.
As this situation continues developing, the incident highlights growing municipal willingness to assert independence from federal ceremonial protocols when political considerations intervene. Whether this represents appropriate local autonomy or inappropriate politicization of national mourning traditions remains subject to ongoing debate.