Trump Proclaims Flag Day and National Flag Week Ahead of America’s 250th Anniversary

President Donald Trump has officially proclaimed June 14, 2026, as Flag Day and the week beginning June 14 as National Flag Week, calling on Americans to proudly display the Stars and Stripes as the nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence.

The proclamation commemorates the adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777, when the Second Continental Congress approved the first official design featuring 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white stars representing the original colonies.

“In the 250th year of our glorious Republic, this Flag Day celebrates the American People,” Trump wrote in the proclamation, calling the American flag “the greatest symbol of freedom, democracy, and sovereign strength the world has ever known.”

The president reflected on the role the flag has played throughout American history, from the Revolutionary War and Civil War to World War II and the nation’s achievements in space exploration. He described the flag as a symbol of “shared sacrifice, common heritage, and divine destiny.”

Trump also referenced actions taken during his administration aimed at protecting the American flag, including efforts to penalize acts of flag desecration tied to violence and unrest.

“As President, I will always wield the full power of my office in defense of our flag’s sacred honor,” the proclamation stated.

The announcement comes as communities across the country prepare for the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration on July 4, 2026, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Trump said the American flag will remain central to celebrations taking place nationwide throughout the summer.

“Our flag will wave in the hands of children at parades and festivals and flap solemnly as a sentinel over hallowed cemeteries of the fallen,” he wrote.

Flag Day itself is not a federal holiday, meaning government offices and most businesses remain open. However, the observance has been nationally recognized for more than a century. President Woodrow Wilson issued the first presidential proclamation recognizing Flag Day in 1916, and Congress officially designated June 14 as National Flag Day through legislation signed by President Harry Truman in 1949.

The observance dates back even further. Bernard Cigrand, a Wisconsin schoolteacher, is widely credited with organizing one of the first recognized Flag Day celebrations in 1885. The idea spread through schools and civic organizations before becoming a national observance.

This year’s celebration carries added significance as part of the broader America 250 events planned across the country. Organizers expect parades, ceremonies, festivals, and public gatherings in the lead-up to Independence Day 2026.

Americans displaying the flag are also encouraged to follow proper flag etiquette outlined in the U.S. Flag Code. The flag should generally be flown from sunrise to sunset unless properly illuminated at night. It should not be displayed during severe weather unless it is an all-weather flag, and it should never touch the ground.

When displayed alongside other flags, the American flag holds the position of honor, either at the highest point or to its own right when flags are flown at equal height. Flying the flag at half-staff is reserved for presidential or gubernatorial proclamations, while displaying it upside down is considered a signal of distress.

Trump concluded the proclamation by encouraging Americans to participate in public celebrations, display the flag proudly, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the weeks between Flag Day and Independence Day.