Black Flag Spotted at President Trump's Inauguration — What Does It Symbolize?

On Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, President-elect Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the 47th president of the United States during his second inauguration. He took the oath of office and pledged to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.

However, as former President Joe Biden and President Trump arrived at the Capitol for the ceremony, viewers noticed a black flag displayed on the limousine, as well as flying above the Capitol Rotunda.

What does this flag mean? Here's what you need to know.

On Jan. 20, Anna Wang took to X (formerly Twitter) asking if anyone knew what the "black-and-white flag" on the front left of the limousine was that President Trump and former President Biden rode in as they made their way to the Capitol for the inauguration.

Unfortunately, her question went unanswered at the time, but after some digging, we found that the flag might be the National League of Families POW/MIA flag — commonly known as the POW/MIA flag.

In November 2019, the National POW/MIA Flag Act was signed into law, mandating that the POW/MIA flag be displayed on all days that the U.S. flag is flown at certain federal properties. This includes the U.S. Capitol Building, the site of all presidential inauguration ceremonies.

Prior to this law, the flag was only flown on select days like Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and Veterans Day.

The POW/MIA flag, adopted in 1972, features a white emblem of the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia on a black background. It symbolizes support for and remembrance of American military personnel, especially those who served in the Vietnam War and were taken as prisoners or went missing in action.

While there has not been a verified American POW in Southeast Asia since 1973, the flag still honors those who served and the families of those who remain unaccounted for.