President Donald Trump largely overlooked the nation’s Juneteenth celebrations on Thursday, only addressing the historic holiday hours later with a social media post criticizing what he called an excess of “non-working holidays” in the United States.
Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., has been officially recognized as a federal holiday since 2021. While previous administrations have observed the occasion with public statements or ceremonies, the Trump White House offered no formal acknowledgment.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters she was unaware of any plans for the president to mark the day. “I’m not tracking his signature on a proclamation today,” Leavitt said, adding that no official event or message from the president had been scheduled.
The New York Times noted that the Biden administration and others before it had publicly celebrated Juneteenth over the past four years, but the Trump administration made no visible effort to do so this year. In contrast, Trump has recently signed proclamations recognizing Father’s Day, Flag Day, National Flag Week, and the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill—none of which are federal holidays.
Instead, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to denounce the growing number of federal holidays that result in business closures. “Too many non-working holidays in America,” Trump posted. “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 working day of the year.
It must change if we are going to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” This isn’t the first time Trump has criticized holidays. Just last month, he floated the idea of creating separate “Victory Days” to mark the end of World War I and World War II, but used the occasion to again voice concern about what he sees as an oversaturation of holidays.
“We already have too many Holidays in America — There are not enough days left in the year,” he wrote. “We were Workers then, and we are Workers now! Documentation to follow.” Critics have argued that Trump’s statements diminish the cultural and historical significance of Juneteenth, particularly given its role in commemorating the end of slavery.
Supporters, however, say his comments reflect legitimate concerns about productivity and the economic impact of federal closures. As Juneteenth gains more recognition nationally, Trump’s dismissal of the holiday is likely to draw further scrutiny in a country still wrestling with its historical legacy and the role of remembrance in public life.