Trump Orders Flags Lowered to Honor Dolly Parton

President Trump is marking Dolly Parton's death with a nationwide gesture: flags at federal buildings will fly at half-staff for a week starting Tuesday at 6pm. "Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will." He added: "Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you." Parton, 80, died peacefully in Nashville, her publicists said Tuesday, hailing "a rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see."

The country icon and prolific philanthropist amassed 11 Grammys, three Emmys, and an honorary humanitarian Oscar. Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, including from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who praised her decades of work on literacy, education, LGBTQ+ rights, and disaster relief, the Hill reports. "Her music and humanity touched millions. She will be sorely missed," Sanders wrote on X.

• Parton declined the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice during Trump's first term, citing husband Carl Dean's illness and the pandemic. She also turned the medal down during Joe Biden's administration, saying, "Now I feel like if I take it, I'll be doing politics, so I'm not sure," Rolling Stone reports.