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Trump’s State Department Adopts “One Flag Policy,” Taking Down Pride and BLM Flags
Charlie Kirk Staff
01/22/2025
The Trump administration has introduced a new directive through the U.S. State Department that bars U.S. embassies and government outposts from flying Pride and Black Lives Matter flags, according to a report released Tuesday.
The Washington Free Beacon reported it obtained a copy of the “One Flag Policy,” which mandates that only the American flag may be displayed at U.S. facilities domestically and internationally. The policy makes two exceptions: the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag and the Wrongful Detainees flag.
“Starting immediately, only the United States of America flag is authorized to be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestic and abroad, and featured in U.S. government content,” the memo states, according to the outlet. It further declares, “The flag of the United States of America unites all Americans under the universal principles of justice, liberty, and democracy. These values, which are the bedrock of our great country, are shared by all American citizens, past and present.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for confirmation of the policy but did not receive an immediate response.
This policy marks a significant shift after the Biden administration faced backlash in prior years for displaying such flags. Critics on both sides of the aisle debated the appropriateness of Pride and Black Lives Matter flags at federal facilities.
In 2023, former President Joe Biden drew criticism for flying the Pride flag outside the White House during a Pride Month event. Additionally, a leaked memo in 2021 encouraged U.S. embassies to display Black Lives Matter flags on the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder.
The debates over these displays prompted Republican lawmakers in 2023 to propose the “One Flag for All Act,” a bill aimed at prohibiting the flying of any flag other than the American flag on federal properties, with limited exceptions.
The practice of flying Pride flags at U.S. embassies originated during the Obama administration and was banned by the Trump administration in 2019. Under Biden, the ban was reversed in 2021, but a 2024 spending package signed by Biden prohibited Pride flags from being flown outside embassies starting that March.
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