Official Defies GOP Governor’s Order To Fly Flags At Half Staff For Charlie Kirk
A county official in Iowa has openly defied the governor’s directive to lower flags in honor of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saying he would not pay tribute to someone he believes harmed marginalized communities and eroded democratic values.
Jon Green, chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, shared his decision publicly on Facebook, posting a screenshot of a note he sent to local officials. In his message, Green ordered county flags lowered to half-staff on September 11 to honor victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks. He also urged officials to remember “all victims of gun violence, including the slain Colorado students,” referring to a school shooting in suburban Denver that took place the same day Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University.
While Green’s official note did not reference Kirk, his Facebook post made his position clear. “I condemn Kirk’s killing, regardless of who pulled the trigger or why,” he wrote. “But I will not grant Johnson County honors to a man who made it his life’s mission to denigrate so many of the constituents I have sworn an oath to protect, and who did so much to harm not only the marginalized, but also to degrade the fabric of our body politic.”
Green, a Democrat, acknowledged that his decision could invite backlash, but said he would “accept any consequence, whether legal or electoral, for my decision. It is mine alone.” When asked whether his defiance might cost him his position, he pointed to Iowa’s Chapter 66 statute, which outlines the requirements for removing an elected official. “I have not satisfied any of those conditions, so the governor has no authority to remove me from office,” he told HuffPost. “If she thought she had some legal basis to do anything to me, she wouldn’t have posted on Facebook. She would’ve sent the law for me.”
The controversy erupted after Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, ordered flags lowered statewide to honor Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a key figure in conservative politics. Reynolds condemned Green’s refusal, calling his decision “disgraceful” in posts on X and Facebook.
Green argued that the governor’s order was inconsistent, pointing out that she had not issued similar proclamations following other acts of political violence. He cited as an example the killing of a Minnesota state senator earlier this year, saying he found the omission “a grievous disappointment.”
At least two of Green’s colleagues have expressed support. Supervisors V Fixmer-Oraiz and Mandi Remington told The Des Moines Register they agreed with his stance. “Supervisor Green’s stance affirms that our county will not elevate voices that work to strip others of dignity, freedom, and belonging,” Remington said in an email. “I believe this decision is a principled one, rooted in respect for the people of Johnson County and the constitutional values we are sworn to protect.”
Green, who was first elected to the board in 2021, has maintained that his actions are both lawful and consistent with his responsibilities as an elected official. The debate underscores how Kirk’s assassination has become a flashpoint in U.S. politics, exposing divisions not only between parties but within local governments themselves.