President Trump has ordered that all flags be flown at half-staff until sunset on December 4, in memory of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who was murdered by an Afghan terrorist just a day before Thanksgiving.
His proclamation reads:
As a mark of respect for the memory of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, West Virginia Army National Guard, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, December 4, 2025. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth. DONALD J. TRUMP
NEW: President Donald J. Trump orders flags be flown at half-staff until sunset in memory of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 4, 2025
Here is the text of the Proclamation:
As a mark of respect for the memory of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, West Virginia Army National Guard, by the…
Beckstrom was shot in the head by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan refugee who entered the United States through Operation Allies Welcome after President Joe Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, which paved the way for the Taliban’s takeover. Lakanwal had worked with the CIA and the U.S. military in a specialized Zero Unit that conducted anti-terrorism operations separate from the Afghan army. According to Kristi Noem, the Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, Lakanwal was radicalized after entering the U.S.
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