An Iowa county official says he will not follow Republican Governor Kim Reynolds’ order to fly flags at half-staff in honor of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on Wednesday.
Jon Green, chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors and a Democrat, announced Thursday on social media that he would not comply with the directive, which was set to remain in effect until Sunday evening.
“I condemn Kirk’s killing, no matter who pulled the trigger or why,” Green wrote. “But I will not give Johnson County’s honours to someone who made it his mission to malign the very communities I swore to protect, and who caused real harm to vulnerable people and to the fabric of our society.”
Green told the Gazette newspaper his decision was also influenced by Reynolds’ failure to issue similar orders after other high-profile acts of gun violence. He cited the killing of Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hartman, who was shot alongside her husband Mark in June in what investigators suspect was a politically motivated attack. Iowa flags were not lowered in her memory.
Instead, Green said Johnson County flags would be lowered Friday to honour victims of the September 11 attacks and two students shot at their Colorado high school this week.
“Johnson County’s flags will otherwise fly as normal,” he said. “I accept any legal or electoral consequences. This is mine alone.”
Reynolds fired back on social media, calling Green’s move “shameful” and accusing him of putting politics over “basic human decency.”
Not all Democrats sided with Green. State Senator Zach Wahls, who represents parts of Johnson County, told the Des Moines Register that he disagreed. “I don’t think it’s the right decision,” Wahls said. “I think he should follow the governor’s directive.”
But Green did find support from Johnson County Supervisor Mandi Remington, also a Democrat. “While I condemn political violence, lowering our county’s flags is an honour that should reflect our community’s values,” she said.
“Charlie Kirk built his career on marginalising LGBTQ+ people, undermining women’s rights, and dividing the country with a politics of hate and exclusion. Many in our diverse community were the direct targets of his rhetoric. Honouring him with our flags would dismiss the harm he caused.”
Remington added that Green’s stand showed Johnson County would not “amplify voices that work to strip others of dignity, freedom, and belonging.”
Green’s defiance comes as backlash builds nationwide against individuals who criticised Kirk after his death, with some facing job loss or disciplinary action.
Speaking to Huff Post, Green said he was “completely confident” he acted within his rights. “The governor has no authority to remove me from office. If she thought she did, she wouldn’t be posting online. She’d be sending me legal papers.”
Meanwhile, Turning Point USA, the organisation Kirk founded, announced a memorial service for him will be held on September 21 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, home of the NFL’s Cardinals.
