Trump announced the flag order on Tuesday through a post on his Truth Social account, which the White House also shared on its official X handle. The flags were to be lowered beginning at 6:00 PM on the night of the announcement.
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away. This is a true loss for millions of people,” Trump stated in the post.
Trump added in the same post, “There has never been anyone like her, and there never will be. In her honor, I am lowering the American flag throughout the United States for a one-week period beginning tonight at 6:00PM. Rest in Peace, Dolly! The world loves you.”
Parton’s death was announced Tuesday by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, through a post on Instagram. Seaver disclosed the news with a personal statement reflecting on the significance of the moment for the family.
“I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” Seaver stated in the Instagram post.
Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in a two-room log cabin in Locust Ridge, a small community in Sevier County, Tennessee. She was the fourth of 12 children and began performing as a child before moving to Nashville after graduating from high school in 1964 to pursue a music career.
She released her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, in 1967 and built a career that spanned more than six decades. She sold more than 100 million records globally and earned the title “Queen of Country” during her lifetime.
Her catalogue of hits included “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “I Will Always Love You.” She wrote more than 3,000 songs across her career and won 11 Grammy Awards, establishing her as one of the most decorated artists in country music history. She was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous other honors.
Parton also worked as an actor, appearing in films including 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias, and Joyful Noise. Her career extended well beyond the recording studio into film and television throughout several decades.
She built a business empire that included television specials, food products, and Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park she acquired an interest in and renamed in 1986. Dollywood became one of the most visited theme parks in the American South, drawing millions of visitors annually and serving as a significant economic engine for the Smoky Mountains region.
Beyond her entertainment career, Parton was widely recognized for her philanthropic work, particularly through the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, a program that promotes childhood literacy by distributing books to children across multiple countries. The program has donated hundreds of millions of books since its founding.
Trump’s flag order applied to all American flags across the United States, with the lowering period beginning on the evening of Tuesday and continuing for a full week. The directive was issued through the same social media post that carried his tribute to the late singer.
The flag-lowering order placed Parton in the company of figures for whom such presidential directives are typically reserved. No additional government statement beyond the Truth Social post accompanied the directive, according to information shared through the White House X account.
Parton rose from humble origins in rural Tennessee to global fame, with a career that crossed music, film, business, and philanthropy. Trump described Dolly Parton as irreplaceable, stating there had never been anyone like her and never would be again.
