A Democratic Florida official has told state offices under her jurisdiction to disregard an order from Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to lower flags to half-staff in honor of the late conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh.
“Lowering to half-staff the flag of the United States of America is a sacred honor that pays respect to fallen heroes and patriots,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a Monday press release. “It is not a partisan political tool.”
“Therefore, I will notify all state offices under my direction to disregard the Governor’s forthcoming order to lower flags for Mr. Limbaugh – because we will not celebrate hate speech, bigotry, and division,” Fried continued. “Lowering the flag should always reflect unity, not division, and raising our standards, not lowering them. Our flags will remain flying high to celebrate the American values of diversity, inclusion, and respect for all.”
I will not lower the flags at my Department’s state offices for Rush Limbaugh. Lowering our flag should reflect unity, not division — and raising our standards, not lowering them. https://t.co/HqtzeoUHkr
— Nikki Fried (@nikkifried) February 22, 2021
DeSantis said Friday that flags would be lowered to half-staff to honor popular conservative talk radio show host Rush Limbaugh, who died Wednesday at age 70. (RELATED: Liberals Reacted As You Can Imagine To Rush Limbaugh’s Death, By Sneering And Celebrating)
“I know they’re still figuring out the arrangements, but what we do when there’s things of this magnitude, once the date of interment for Rush is announced, we’re gonna be lowering the flags to half-staff,” DeSantis said at a press conference in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The announcement followed a request from Florida state representative Anthony Sabatini that the flags be lowered in honor of the late conservative political commentator.
Limbaugh’s wife Kathryn announced on his radio show last week that Limbaugh had died after a battle with lung cancer. Shortly after Limbaugh’s cancer diagnosis in 2020, former President Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the State of the Union address.