Former New York Jets center Nick Mangold publicly criticized his hometown and state on Saturday after spotting an American flag at full staff on a government building while President Donald Trump had issued a proclamation directing flags on government buildings to be flown at half-staff to honor Charlie Kirk.
Mangold posted on X that he was “disgusted and saddened by my town (Madison) and my state (New Jersey). This is wrong on so many levels… as an American husband and father was assassinated for expressing his right to free speech.” He tagged New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the state's two gubernatorial candidates, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli, in the post.
Bergen County officials said in a Facebook post that the county follows the State of New Jersey’s daily flag status and that on Saturday the state’s status was "full staff." The county said inquiries about lowering the flag at county-owned facilities had prompted the clarification. Madison borough officials did not immediately provide an independent explanation in the post cited by Mangold.
The proclamation followed the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, and their two children survive him. Authorities arrested a suspect, identified in news reports as Tyler Robinson, after a manhunt that lasted more than a day.
The presidential order directed that all American flags on government buildings be flown at half-staff until Sunday in Kirk’s honor. Local governments sometimes follow state or county policies rather than federal guidance for daily flag status; Bergen County’s statement referenced the state's official daily status as the basis for its decision.
Mangold’s post reflected a broader reaction among some public figures and commentators who urged communities to observe the half-staff directive. Other municipalities in New Jersey did lower flags in accordance with the proclamation, according to local reports. The differing local responses underscored the decentralized practices that govern flag protocols, which can vary by jurisdiction and be influenced by state or county rules.
No formal response from Madison’s municipal offices to Mangold’s post was included in the social post he cited, and state officials did not immediately issue new guidance beyond the proclamation. Investigations into the shooting in Utah remain ongoing, and the community has continued to react to the killing and the subsequent national attention.
