The White House did not recognize or celebrate Juneteenth this year as President Donald Trump complained about “too many non-working holidays.”
Juneteenth, officially known as Juneteenth Independence Day, is an annual federal holiday on June 19 to celebrate the end of slavery in the U.S.
The holiday was signed into law by the Biden administration on June 17, 2021.
Highlights
- The White House did not officially recognize Juneteenth this year amid President Trump's complaints about too many holidays.
- Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 under the Biden administration to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S.
- Trump criticized non-working holidays for costing billions and suggested there are too many days off in America.
- Trump previously campaigned on making Juneteenth a national holiday.
Donald Trump said there were too many holidays on Juneteenth
Image credits: White House
Most government offices, banks, and post offices close to commemorate the day, but restaurants, retail, and grocery stores remain open for business.
While Trump has supported Juneteenth in the past and even supported making it a national holiday, this year, he appeared to complain about it instead.
“Too many non-working holidays in America,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed.
“The workers don’t want it either! Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year.
Image credits: Donald J Trump
“It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The White House did not release a statement to commemorate the day on its social media or official website.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing on June 19 that the White House was open, and when asked about Juneteenth, said she was “not tracking” Trump's signature on any proclamations for the holiday.
“Does the president plan to commemorate the holiday today,” a reporter asked.
“I’m not tracking his signature on a proclamation today,” she replied.
“I know this is a federal holiday,” Leavitt said. “I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We're working 24/7 right now.”
DISGUSTING: Karoline Leavitt suggests Trump won’t acknowledge Juneteenth and acts like it’s not a holiday: “I’m not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here.”
Back in September 2020, Trump pledged to make Juneteenth a national holiday to gain the support of Black voters in the wake of George Floyd’s killing and Black Lives Matter protests.
It was part of his “Promise to Black America over 4 years” included under a “Prosperous Black Communities” proposal in his “Platinum Plan” during his re-election campaign.
He even claimed he had made the event famous and said no one had heard of it.
“I did something good: I made Juneteenth very famous,” Trump told The Wall Street Journal in a 2020 interview. “It's actually an important event, an important time. But nobody had ever heard of it.”
In the same interview, Trump said no one around him had heard of the holiday, but when he asked an aide, she told him his administration had been acknowledging it.
In 2020, Trump campaigned on making Juneteenth a national holiday
Image credits: Ira L. Black - Corbis/Getty Images
During Trump’s first three years in the White House, his office put out statements on each of those years.
“Oh really? We put out a statement? The Trump White House put out a statement?” he said. “OK, OK. Good.”
His latest comments on the holiday were sharply criticized on social media, with users pointing out that he campaigned on Juneteenth in 2020.
“There are too many holidays, Trump whines — after literally campaigning on making Juneteenth a federal holiday to pander to Black voters. No principles. No shame. Just the con,” one person wrote.
Image credits: The White House
“Juneteenth isn’t political. It’s not ‘woke,’ whatever that is. It’s a simple commemoration of the end of slavery. The fact that Trump can’t even celebrate slavery ending is very on brand for MAGA,” another added.
“Trump complains there are too many holidays—on Juneteenth—a holiday he didn’t make but once bragged he made ‘very famous’ after scheduling a rally on it in Tulsa,” a third posted.
“You can’t make this up: First he tries to take credit for it. Now he’s mad people have the day off. Pick a lane, Donnie.”