You see it every time a president steps off Marine One or walks past a color guard. The hand goes up to the brow. It’s a crisp, military-style salute. We’ve become so used to this image that most people assume it’s a rule. It feels like it’s been happening since George Washington’s day, right?
Actually, no. Not even close.
The question of should the president salute the flag—or military personnel—is a surprisingly modern debate. It’s one of those "traditions" that’s actually younger than the Rubik’s Cube. If you look back at footage of JFK, LBJ, or even Eisenhower (a five-star general!), you won’t see them saluting. They followed the traditional civilian protocol: hand over the heart.
So, why did it change? And more importantly, is it actually allowed?
The Reagan Shift: Where the Presidential Salute Started
The whole thing started with Ronald Reagan in 1981. Reagan was a man who understood the power of a visual. He was also deeply respectful of the military. But he had a dilemma. As the Commander-in-Chief, he was the ultimate boss of the armed forces, yet he was also a civilian.
Military protocol is pretty strict. Generally, you don’t salute unless you’re in uniform. Reagan, being a civilian, felt awkward. He wanted to return the salutes he received from the young Marines and soldiers he encountered daily.
He actually sought advice on this. He reportedly talked to General Robert Barrow, the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Reagan asked if he could return the gesture. Barrow basically told him that as Commander-in-Chief, he was the top of the chain of command, and if he wanted to salute, nobody was going to stop him.
Reagan took that advice and ran with it. In 1981, he began returning salutes. It felt right to him. It looked good on camera. It signaled a new era of military pride after the complexities of the Vietnam War. But it also broke nearly two hundred years of precedent.
The Legal and Protocol Reality
Here’s the thing: there is no law saying a president must salute. There’s also no law saying they can’t.
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According to the U.S. Flag Code, which is more of a guideline than a strictly enforceable law for civilians, the proper way for a civilian to show respect during the national anthem or when the flag passes is to place the right hand over the heart. Veterans and active-duty military members in civilian clothes are allowed to salute, thanks to the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act.
But the president? The president is a civilian.
The Constitution is very clear about the civilian control of the military. This is a foundational principle of American democracy. We don't have a military junta. We have a civilian leader who happens to command the military. Critics of the presidential salute, like historical expert and author John Lukacs, have argued that the salute blurs this line. They worry it makes the presidency look more like a military office than a democratic one.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a gray area.
If you look at the Manual of Ceremonies, military members are required to salute the Commander-in-Chief. They aren't saluting the person; they are saluting the office. Whether the person in that office should "answer" in kind is where the debate lives.
Variations on a Theme: How Different Presidents Handled It
Once Reagan started it, it became a political "must." If a president didn't salute, they risked looking disrespectful to the troops. That’s a death sentence in modern American politics.
- George H.W. Bush: As a decorated WWII pilot, his salute was naturally sharp. He felt comfortable with it. It fit his persona perfectly.
- Bill Clinton: This is where things got a little rocky. Early in his first term, Clinton’s salute was... let's say, unpolished. Critics tore him apart for it. It became a symbol for those who thought he wasn't "military enough." He eventually got coached on it by General Hugh Shelton.
- Barack Obama: He followed the tradition, but he also faced the "Latte Salute" controversy in 2014 when he saluted a Marine while holding a coffee cup. It was a minor gaffe, but it showed how high the stakes had become for this one simple gesture.
- Donald Trump: He was very enthusiastic about the salute, even famously saluting a North Korean general during a summit—a move that sparked massive protocol debates because you generally don't salute the officers of a foreign adversary.
Does It Actually Matter?
You might think this is just a bunch of people arguing about "manners." But symbols matter in government.
The question of should the president salute the flag touches on how we view the executive branch. If you see the president primarily as a civilian administrator, the salute feels out of place. It’s like a CEO trying to act like a floor manager. If you see the president primarily as the Commander-in-Chief during a time of global instability, the salute feels like a necessary show of solidarity.
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There’s also the "slippery slope" argument. Some historians argue that by adopting military customs, the presidency becomes "imperial." They point to the fact that for the first 150 years of the republic, presidents would often tip their hats. When hats went out of fashion, the hand-over-heart took over.
But there’s another side. Most military members actually like it.
Ask a Marine at the base of the helicopter stairs. Most will tell you they appreciate the acknowledgment. It’s a sign that the person at the top recognizes their service. In that context, the "legal" civilian status of the president matters less than the human connection between a leader and their subordinates.
The Flag vs. The Troops
We need to make a distinction here. Saluting a person is one thing. Saluting the flag is another.
When the National Anthem plays, the Flag Code is the gold standard. It says:
"All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart..."
Technically, a president should probably be putting their hand over their heart when the flag goes by. Many do. Some do both. They might keep the hand over the heart for the anthem, but salute when a color guard marches past them. It’s a stylistic choice that has become a permanent fixture of the American political theater.
Practical Takeaways on Presidential Etiquette
If you’re ever in a position where you’re wondering about the "correct" way to show respect, or if you’re writing about the presidency, keep these points in mind.
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First, the "tradition" of the presidential salute is less than 50 years old. It’s a Reagan-era invention, not a Founding Fathers requirement.
Second, there is no "wrong" answer. Because the president is the Commander-in-Chief, they essentially have the authority to set their own protocol for how they interact with the branches they lead. If they want to salute, they can. If they want to stick to the civilian hand-over-heart, that is technically more "correct" according to historical civilian standards.
Third, the public perception will always outweigh the technicality. A president who stops saluting tomorrow would likely face a massive backlash, regardless of whether they were "technically" returning to traditional civilian roots.
What to Look for Next Time
Next time you see a clip of the president on the news, watch the hand.
Is it a sharp military salute? Is it a casual wave? Do they remember to put their hand over their heart during the anthem?
The nuance tells you a lot about how that specific administration views its relationship with power. We’ve moved far away from the days of Thomas Jefferson, who would often greet visitors in his slippers to prove he wasn't a "royal." Today, the presidency is wrapped in the trappings of military authority, and the salute is the most visible sign of that shift.
To really understand the protocol, you can look at the U.S. Army Drill and Ceremonies Manual (TC 3-21.5). It explains who salutes whom and why. You'll notice the president is always the one being saluted first. Whether they return it is a choice of leadership style, not a requirement of the law.
Ultimately, the president salutes because the American people expect it now. We’ve traded the old-school civilian modesty for a more modern, militarized version of the office. Whether that’s a good thing is up for debate, but for now, the salute is here to stay.
To stay informed on these kinds of protocol nuances, you should regularly check the White House Historical Association archives. They track these changes in "presidential style" better than anyone else. You'll find that what we think of as "set in stone" is usually just a reflection of the person currently holding the pen in the Oval Office.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the U.S. Flag Code (4 U.S.C. § 9) to see the official civilian requirements for flag respect.
- Observe the difference between a president's salute and a veteran's salute during the next televised national event; notice how the "civilian" status often leads to a slightly different hand angle.
- Review historical footage from the 1960s and 1970s to see the transition from the "hat tip/hand-over-heart" era to the modern "salute" era.