President Donald Trump announced that he ordered American flags nationwide lowered to half-staff in honor of the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., praising the Northern California Republican as "a true American Patriot."
"In honor of the late, GREAT, Congressman Doug LaMalfa, a true American Patriot and fantastic Representative of Northern California, yesterday I ordered all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until this evening," Trump wrote in a Truth Social staff Wednesday afternoon.
"Doug will be dearly missed!"
LaMalfa, 65, died unexpectedly this week, leaving congressional Republicans with another vacancy in the House at a time when the GOP's majority is already tight.
Flags were lowered following the president's directive, and California officials also moved to honor the seven-term congressman, including at state government buildings in Sacramento.
LaMalfa represented California's 1st Congressional District since 2013, covering a vast, rural stretch of Northern California. He was widely known as a strong advocate for agriculture, water issues, wildfire management, and the needs of small towns and farming communities — often emphasizing what he viewed as Washington's responsibility to the people "outside the big cities."
His death triggers a special election process that must be set in motion by Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, who under California law has a limited window to call the election.
With the flag-lowering order, Trump underscored the tradition of honoring fallen public officials through national symbolism, offering, in his words, a mark of respect for a lawmaker he described as a devoted servant of his state and country.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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