U.S. flag flying upside down meaning, explained

There’s been renewed interest around the meaning of an upside-down U.S. flag, after one was apparently spotted on a flag pole outside of the State Department offices earlier this month. An image of the upside-down flag was shared on social media in early February, promptly going viral as onlookers speculated about both the authenticity of the images, as well as why the American flag might be flown facing down in the first place.

Some social media users quickly theorized that the flag was flown upside down as a political statement in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, and the massive governmental upheaval that has followed. Others called on the State Department, an agency that has long caught the ire of Trump and is responsible for carrying out US foreign policy, to respond to the viral images. So what’s the story, and what does an upside-down flag even mean?

Images of an apparent upside-down flag took off on social media. 

On February 5, one image purported to depict an upside-down U.S. flag flying outside the State Department was shared on Reddit. The originator of that post claimed in a statement to Newsweek that they spotted the upturned flag at 2 pm, adding that it stayed upside down for about 20 minutes before it was changed. By that point, the image had made its way to X, where users assumed it was authentic and took it as evidence of an anti-Trump statement initiated by a State Department employee.

“From mass firings of federal employees to abrupt policy changes, the administration’s actions have led to widespread confusion and concern,” one caption of a viral image of the upside-down flag read. The spotting of the flag also came at a time when employee morale in government was reportedly low, fueling speculation that the upturned flag was a direct message against the newly established Trump administration. 

While that narrative is alluring, it’s important to note that the authenticity of the image — despite the insistence of its originator to Newsweek — remains unconfirmed. With the State Department yet to comment on the viral photo, and its genuineness unproven, we don’t know whether the upturned flag was a sign of protest from an employee, a simple error, or if it was even flying upside down to begin with. However, an upturned U.S. flag would not be without precedent.  

Upside-down flags are mentioned under the U.S. Flag Code. 

BREAKING: The US State Department flag reportedly has been spotted flying upside down, a universal signal of distress.

From mass firings of federal employees to abrupt policy changes, the administration’s actions have led to widespread confusion and concern. It’s almost as if… pic.twitter.com/gEdsVRq7aw

— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) February 5, 2025

According to the U.S. Flag Code, the stars and stripes of the national flag should never be flown upside down, except “as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” Unlike flags flown at half-mast — which are a sign of mourning — an upside-down flag is used to signal an emergency, though it is considered disrespectful to upturn a flag for no apparent reason. 

There have been some instances, for example, when maritime ships in distress will signal their emergency by flying their flags upside down. Elsewhere, the U.S. flag was spotted flying upside down throughout the 1960s, in protest of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Alongside that signal of an upside-down U.S. flag, some outlets state that using it upturned can be a form of protest, which is protected by the First Amendment on the grounds of free speech.