# Does the President salute the flag? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871 "2004-02-18T21:08:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thrillhouse15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@Thrillhouse15](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thrillhouse15)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871/1 "2004-02-18T21:08:09Z")
Flipping through the channels this weekend, I passed by the broadcast of the Daytona 500. It was before the race, during the national anthem. The camera kept showing President Bush. He was just standing there, arms to his sides. My question is, is there a reason for this? Does etiquette dictate that the President doesn’t have to salute or put his hand over his heart during the national anthem or anything? Or is he supposed to, and just forgot? Note: I don’t mean this thread to start an anti-Bush rant. I mean it as a legit question. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871/2 "2004-02-18T22:15:05Z")
Hand over the heart is optional for anyone. All you have to do is stand at attention and remove your hat if you have one. Haj ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871/3 "2004-02-18T22:53:20Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Hand over the heart is optional for anyone. All you have to do is stand at attention and remove your hat if you have one. > > Haj More accurately, everything is optional for everyone. You can sit and eat a hot dog and drink a beer during the national anthem if you want, there’s no law requiring any action. Custom dictates otherwise, and the custom dictates what hajario said. That, and at a NASCAR race especially, I’d say that the crowd around you would dictate otherwise! ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871/4 "2004-02-18T23:33:18Z")
I may be wrong, but, I don’t believe that even military personel out of uniform salute during the National Anthem. Saluting is ordered when one is in uniform, while the flag is being raised, or lowered, or during the Pledge of Allegiance, or the National Anthem. Those not in uniform are not required, nor forbidden to salute by the UCMJ. Tris ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871/5 "2004-02-18T23:58:55Z")
Placing your hand over your heart is considered “saluting” during the National Anthem for those not in uniform. [Reference.](http://www.pvusd.net/What_s_New/Historical_Events/Flag_Etiquette/flag_etiquette.html) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871/6 "2004-02-19T01:45:40Z")
> [@ski](#): > > More accurately, everything is optional for everyone. Whenever I go to the ball game, I’m always irritated by how many people don’t know they’re supposed to take their hats off during the anthem. But this is Seattle, so I don’t say anything; I just fume silently inside my passive-aggressive brain and glare at the backs of people’s heads. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871/7 "2004-02-19T04:46:33Z")
In a republic, the custom is that everyone salutes the flag including the head of state. In a monarchy, the sovereign does not salute the flag. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871/8 "2004-02-19T04:49:13Z")
One clarification; I should have written “everyone who’s a citizen of the country whose flag is being presented”. If you’re a citizen or subject of another country you’re just expected to not be disrespectful. ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-salute-the-flag/229871/9 "2004-02-19T04:52:54Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Whenever I go to the ball game, I’m always irritated by how many people don’t know they’re supposed to take their hats off during the anthem. But this is Seattle, so I don’t say anything; I just fume silently inside my passive-aggressive brain and glare at the backs of people’s heads. 😉 At the ballgames here (Suns and D-backs, at least), when they announce the National Anthem, they request that the fans “please rise and remove your hats”. I always wondered if telling people to remove their hats was necessary. I guess it is.