Trump State Department Tells Embassies and Outposts: Fly Stars and Stripes Only—No More Pride or BLM Flags

The Trump State Department implemented a landmark "One Flag Policy" policy on Monday, barring U.S. outposts at home and abroad from flying any other flag but the Stars and Stripes. The newly issued order, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, effectively bans American facilities from displaying flags affiliated with left-wing movements, including the pride and Black Lives Matter flags that flew over U.S. government buildings under Biden.

"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 order states. "The flag of the United States of America united 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."

Any State Department employee who violates the new policy will "face disciplinary action, including termination of employment or contract, or reassignment to their home agency." The only other flags that will be permitted to fly are the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) emblem and the Wrongful Detainees Flag.

"The U.S. flag is a powerful symbol of pride and it is fitting and respectful that only the U.S. flag be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestically and abroad," according to the policy memorandum.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was confirmed Monday night in a 99 to 0 vote, issued the order shortly after his swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday. His doing so signals that Rubio is hitting the ground running on a host of items aimed at reshaping Foggy Bottom's diplomatic mission. The memo also makes good on President Donald Trump’s repeated promises to eliminate so-called wokeness from the American government, including by nixing a litany of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies that the Biden State Department championed. Trump on Monday announced a sweeping series of day-one executive orders that, among other things, will bring wholesale change to the American diplomatic corps.

"On the President’s direction, the State Department will have an America-First foreign policy," the White House said in a Monday afternoon press release that also previewed Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord and reform the federal bureaucracy.

The Biden White House also allowed the State Department to fly an assortment of pride flags alongside the official American banner, drawing outrage among Republicans in Congress.

In June 2021, for instance, the U.S. embassy in Nassau "raised the rainbow Pride Flag to honor the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons in The Bahamas and around the world," the State Department said in an announcement at the time.

The raising of the flag marked the U.S. government’s official observance of "pride month" in June. "The widely recognized rainbow flag," the State Department said, "will fly from the flagpole of the U.S. Embassy in Downtown Nassau, and at the Chief of Mission Residence on Sanford Road."

The administration also raised the Black Lives Matter flag at the U.S. embassy and consulates in Brazil to celebrate Black History Month in February 2022.

"Black Lives Matter began with a hashtag that initially focused on treatment of racial minorities by police, but over time the phrase has garnered international attention and is connected to collective efforts to mitigate racism and build a more equitable society," the embassy said in a press statement at the time.

During Trump’s first term in office, the president repeatedly rejected requests from U.S. embassies and consulates to raise the pride flag, a decision that Biden immediately reversed in 2021. Then-secretary of state Antony Blinken issued an internal State Department cable in April of that year authorizing "diplomats to fly the pride flag," according to the New York Times.

Pride flags were also draped across the White House in June 2023, when the Biden administration celebrated pride month with a party on the South Lawn. During those celebrations, three guests were caught posing topless.

In March of last year, meanwhile, the Biden administration attacked Republicans in Congress for backing a provision to curtail the number of flags permitted to be flown at American embassies. That measure closely resembles the "One Flag Policy" implemented by the Trump administration on Monday, suggesting GOP members of Congress influenced the new State Department memo.

The Biden administration spent millions on DEI initiatives across the government, including more than $80 million on programs meant to advance "racial equity" and prevent "gender and sexuality discrimination" abroad.

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