Donald Trump has again ordered the American flag at the White House to be flown at half mast in honour of the late Arizona Senator John McCain.
The White House flag was among those lowered in Washington DC following Senator McCain's death on Saturday.
However, President Trump faced criticism after the flag was fully raised again on Monday - a significantly shorter period at half-mast than is tradition for high-profile figures, and despite the flags at the US Capitol remaining at half-mast.
Trump and McCain had publicly clashed in recent years, and it has been widely reported that the senator did not want the current US President to attend his funeral.
Veterans' group the American Legion was among those urging President Trump to follow protocol:
Nat’l Cmdr Rohan letter to President Trump: “I strongly urge you to make an appropriate presidential proclamation noting Senator McCain’s death & legacy of service to our nation, & that our nation’s flag be half-staffed through his interment.” Statement: https://t.co/05zG2H0hqc
— The American Legion (@AmericanLegion) August 27, 2018
It has now been confirmed that the American flag will again be lowered as a mark of respect - and will stay lowered until the senator's burial.
In a statement, President Trump said: "Despite our differences on policy and politics, I respect Senator John McCain's service to our country and, in his honour, have signed a proclamation to fly the flag at the United States at half-staff until the day of his internment."
He added that Vice President Mike Pence has been asked to deliver an address at a memorial ceremony in Washington on Friday.
Statement from @POTUS on Senator McCain. pic.twitter.com/kwM6VIQdnM
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) August 27, 2018
Memorial services
Senator McCain will lie in state at both the Arizona State Capitol and the US Capitol in Washington this week, ahead of a memorial service in Washington's National Cathedral on Saturday.
The late senator is reported to have requested that former US Presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush - both of whom defeated McCain in his bids for the White House, albeit at different stages of the contest - deliver eulogies at the ceremony.
He is set to be buried in the cemetery at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland on Sunday.
The McCain family has also released a 'farewell statement' from the six-term senator.
In an apparent reference to President Trump, he wrote: “We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been."
He added: “Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.
"Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history."
President Trump yesterday repeatedly ignored questions from reporters about the late senator.
"Why won't you say anything about John McCain?"@jonkarl asked Pres. Trump ten times today to comment on Senator John McCain, who passed away this weekend at age 81. The president did not respond. https://t.co/HebITj8csN pic.twitter.com/iwKYhGRaNj
— ABC News (@ABC) August 27, 2018
