A Texas street preacher stirred controversy Sunday after raising the American flag back to full-staff outside a post office, openly rejecting President Trump’s directive to lower flags in tribute to Dolly Parton.
David Grisham restored “Old Glory” to the top of the flagpole at the Borger Post Office in the Texas Panhandle, days after Trump ordered flags nationwide to fly at half-staff for one week following the country music legend’s death at 80.
In a video shared on Facebook, Grisham argued that the honor was misplaced. “She’s never served in the United States government in any capacity officially,” he said. “I don’t think this is an appropriate way to honor her.”
Grisham insisted that lowering the American flag should be a gesture reserved for military personnel and others who served the nation in an official capacity.
“I don’t think it’s the United States government’s business to honor some country western star,” he said, adding that many U.S. service members never receive the same recognition.
“This flag should have been flown in top mast, not half-mast, for Dolly Parton,” he added.
On Aug. 25, Trump issued a proclamation directing US flags at the White House, federal public buildings — including post offices — military installations and US embassies to fly at half-staff through sunset on Sept. 1, in memory of Parton.
But Grisham wasn’t the only one to reject the order.
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Ken Adams, the Republican mayor of Olive Branch, Miss., a suburb of Memphis, Tenn., also refused to lower the American flag following Parton’s death.
“I believe lowering the American flag to half-staff should mean something very significant,” Adams wrote Friday on the city’s Facebook page.
“In my opinion, it should be reserved for our military heroes, fallen first responders, presidents and other major national leaders, or events that have had a tremendous impact on our country,” he added.
Adams cited Mississippi’s Home Rule law, which gives cities authority over their internal affairs, and said mayors should “use our own judgment when appropriate” when making decisions for their constituents.
Parton had a history of supporting US troops, performing for service members at a Tennessee Air National Guard base in 2004 and hosting a 2005 Grand Ole Opry broadcast watched by troops in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Grisham has staged controversial — and outlandish — protests before.
In November 2023, the Texas preacher stood outside Sleepy Hollow Elementary School in Amarillo dressed as the Grinch and holding a sign that read, “Santa is Fake. Jesus is Real.”
Grisham said he was challenging what he viewed as a lie being told to children.
He also claimed he was assaulted outside the school and said police “showed up in force” to disrupt his protest and block him from “exercising my First Amendment rights as much as they could.”