The standard rule of state funeral attendance is that to show respect, the representatives sent should be of equal or greater stature than the deceased.
By that measure, NO ONE from the current administration should have been within four miles of Margret Thatcher’s funeral.
Mandela on the other hand...........
The FDOTWH (Bo) might qualify to attend. As far as lowering the flag............... I’m way over this non stop flag lowering. My truck had a flat tire last week and nobody demanded that the flags be lowered. Why not just leave them at half staff and then raise them on the rare occasion when something good happens.