A county official in Iowa is openly defying the governor’s directive to lower flags in honor of Charlie Kirk, saying he refuses to pay tribute to someone he believes caused deep harm to both marginalized communities and the nation’s political culture.
Jon Green, chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, posted on Facebook a screenshot of a message he sent to fellow elected leaders in the county, which includes Iowa City. In it, he directed that flags be lowered on September 11 to honor the victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks. He also urged people to keep in mind “all victims of gun violence, including the Colorado students who were killed,” as they carried out their public duties.
The students he referenced were fatally shot at a high school outside Denver on Wednesday—the same day Kirk, the founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, was assassinated in Utah. While Green didn’t mention Kirk in his official note, he did address the controversy directly in his Facebook post.
“I condemn Kirk’s killing, no matter who was responsible or why,” Green wrote. “But I cannot, in good conscience, extend county honors to a man who built his life’s work on attacking the very people I’ve sworn to protect—and who did lasting damage not only to marginalized groups, but to the health of our democracy itself.”
Green, a Democrat, acknowledged that his stance could carry consequences. “I’ll accept whatever comes of this legal or political. The decision is mine, and mine alone,” he said.
Speaking with HuffPost on Saturday, Green made it clear he has no doubts about keeping his position. He pointed to Chapter 66 of the Iowa Code, which sets the standards for removing an elected official, and said he is “entirely confident” his choice was within the law.
“I haven’t met any of those requirements, so the governor has no power to take me out of office,” Green said. “If she actually believed she had legal grounds, she wouldn’t waste time posting online. She would have sent the authorities to deal with me.”
Green told The Gazette that his decision was also shaped by Gov. Kim Reynolds’ past actions. He criticized her for not lowering flags after other acts of gun violence, calling it “a grievous disappointment.”
He singled out the death of a Minnesota state senator who was shot and killed in his own home earlier this year. According to Green, Iowa did not show the same respect for that tragedy.
Reynolds, a Republican, fired back in posts on X and Facebook, denouncing Green’s stance as “disgraceful.”
It’s disgraceful that a locally-elected official has chosen to put politics above human decency during a time like this. pic.twitter.com/SqOqirWxFo
— Gov. Kim Reynolds (@IAGovernor) September 12, 2025
According to the Des Moines Register, at least two other members of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors backed Green’s decision. Supervisors V Fixmer-Oraiz and Mandi Remington both shared their support in emails to the paper.
“Supervisor Green’s stance affirms that our county will not elevate voices that work to strip others of dignity, freedom, and belonging,” Remington wrote. She added that she sees the move as a principled choice, rooted in respect for Johnson County residents and the constitutional values officials are sworn to uphold.
Green has served on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors since 2021, according to the county’s website, according to huffpost.
