President Donald Trump criticized the growing number of federal holidays and their economic cost in a post on Truth Social. Notably, his comments came on the Juneteenth holiday.
What Happened: Trump took to his platform to air his frustrations about federal holidays. The president, however, did not post any message commemorating the holiday associated with the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
“Too many non-working holidays in America,” he posted, adding, “It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed. The workers don't want it either!”
“It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” he concluded.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said, "I'm not tracking his [Trump] signature on a proclamation today." She thanked reporters for working despite the holiday, adding, "We are certainly here. We are working 24/7 right now."
Why It's Important: Trump's silence on Juneteenth and criticism of federal holidays mark a stark departure from his first term.
In 2020, Trump claimed responsibility for raising national awareness of Juneteenth and even included the idea of making it a federal holiday in his campaign messaging.
"I did something good: I made Juneteenth very famous," he told the Wall Street Journal, after facing backlash for planning a campaign rally on June 19 of that year. "It's actually an important event, an important time. But nobody had ever heard of it."
Photo courtesy: Maxim Elramsisy / Shutterstock.com
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