President Trump refused to lower American flags in light of the shooting at the building of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., last week, according to a new report.
Over the weekend, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley submitted a request to the White House for American flags to be lowered after Gov. Larry Hogan ordered Maryland state flags remain at half-staff from Friday through sunset on Monday, the Baltimore Sun reports.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed, you know? … Is there a cutoff for tragedy?” Buckley said, per the Baltimore Sun. “This was an attack on the press. It was an attack on freedom of speech. It’s just as important as any other tragedy.”
Buckley had considered lowering the city’s flags even if Trump didn’t approve his request, but was eventually convinced otherwise by his wife.
“At this point in time, it would start to polarize people and I don’t want to make people angry,” he said.
The White House has called for flags to be lowered multiple times this year following mass shootings, such as the one at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, and the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
The White House did not immediately respond to a media request from the Washington Examiner.
Five people were killed in the shooting in Annapolis, while several others were injured.
[Related: Trump after newsroom shooting: Journalists ‘should be free from the fear’ of violence]
