New York Jets legend Nick Mangold took aim at a New Jersey town in a furious rant over the weekend after it failed to fly the American flag at half-staff in honor of Charlie Kirk.
Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation on Wednesday ordering US flags on all federal property to remain at half-staff until Sunday evening as a nationwide tribute to the political commentator, who was shot dead last week.
However, Madison, New Jersey – located around 16 miles west of Newark – defied the order, which didn’t go unnoticed by the former NFL center.
Mangold, 41, noticed that the Star-Spangled Banner was still flying atop the pole when he drove by a government building on Saturday.
‘I’m disgusted and saddened by my town (Madison) and my state (New Jersey),’ he wrote on X. ‘This is wrong on so many levels… as an American husband and father was assassinated for expressing his right to free speech.’
He attached a photo of the flag pole, including the timestamp which listed the image as being taken at 5:44pm ET on September 13.
New York Jets legend Nick Mangold took aim at Madison, NJ for failing to honor Charlie Kirk
The former center said he was ‘disgusted’ that the town didn’t fly its flags at half-staff
Mangold also tagged New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the two gubernatorial candidates who are fighting to succeed Murphy, state Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli.
After coming under fire, the Borough of Madison released a statement explaining the decision to ignore Trump’s order.
‘Over the weekend, we received questions about the lowering of the American flag in the borough. Madison’s policy is to follow the State of New Jersey’s daily flag status,’ a statement shared by the borough’s official X account read. ‘Over the weekend, the status was “full staff.”
‘The Borough of Madison condemns all forms of political violence and rejects hate in every form. We remain committed to bringing people together around our shared values.’
While federal buildings in Washington, D.C. complied immediately with the president’s instruction, lowering flags at the White House and other agencies, the order was ignored by Democratic-led state governments in New York and New Jersey, where official flag guidance listed ‘full staff’ and no state-level order was issued.
Despite being an Ohio native, Mangold settled in New Jersey after playing his entire 10-year NFL career with the New York Jets, who play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
The Ohio State product was drafted by the Jets with the 29th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He went onto become a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor in 2022.
The Jets were among six NFL teams who honored Kirk before their respective games kicked off on Sunday.
Mangold shared a photo of a flag flying atop the pole at a government building in the town
The 41-year-old is pictured with Donald Trump (L) and CEO of of The Trump Organization, Matthew Calamari, at the Eric Trump Foundation Golf Invitational in 2011
The retired NFL star was inducted into the Jets’ Ring of Honor in September 2022
The conservative activist, 31, was shot and killed in front of around 3,000 Q&A event with students at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, sending shockwaves across the nation.
Tyler James Robinson, 22, of Washington, Utah, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder and other felony offenses. Prosecutors are drawing up formal charges that could be filed early next week, when he will make his first court appearance.
The Jets, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals all halted proceedings before their respective kickoffs to remember the life of the 31-year-old MAGA star.
However, the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens , Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings let the moment pass without reference to Kirk’s shock killing.
Daily Mail contacted all five teams to ask why they did not honor Kirk. Indianapolis explained that the team instead held a moment of silence for Forrest Lucas – founder of Lucas Oil, the namesake of their stadium – which was always planned after he passed away last month. The Lions, Bengals, Ravens and Vikings did not initially respond.
The decision comes after the Ravens held a moment of silence when George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, and players from both franchises took a knee during the National Anthem in protest months later.
Prior to kickoff between the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Commanders on Thursday night, the Packers also observed a moment of silence for the controversial political figure.
