President Trump turns down half-staff flag request for slain Capital Gazette journalists

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Tuesday, July 3, 2018
President Donald Trump gestures while speaking, Friday, June 29, 2018, during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington.
President Donald Trump gestures while speaking, Friday, June 29, 2018, during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington.
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The mayor of Annapolis, Maryland, says President Donald Trump has turned down a request to lower U.S. flags in the city to half-staff to honor the five people killed at The Capital Gazette newspaper last week.

Buckley said Monday afternoon he was informed by Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes of the decision turning down the mayor's request.

Buckley says he was only requesting that some of the capital city's prominent flags be at half-staff, and he's upset about the decision.

He says he has been considering lowering the flags himself, but the Democratic congressman and his wife talked him out of it, saying protocol should be followed.