Trump criticizes Juneteenth and other 'non-working holidays,' sparking backlash online
President Donald Trump stirred controversy on Juneteenth after posting on Truth Social criticizing 'non-working holidays' for harming the U.S. economy.
'Too many non-working holidays in America. 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,' Trump wrote. 'It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'
Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the U.S., honoring June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to free enslaved people. It became a federal holiday in 2021 under President Biden.
At Thursday's White House briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump would not be issuing a proclamation and added, 'We're working 24/7 right now.'
Trump's remarks quickly drew backlash across social media. Civil rights leaders and Democratic lawmakers condemned the post as 'tone-deaf' and 'disrespectful to Black history.' NAACP President Derrick Johnson called it 'a deliberate erasure of a vital part of American history.'
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) tweeted, 'Juneteenth isn't a burden—it's a reminder of freedom hard-fought. Trump's comments are cruel and calculated.'
Meanwhile, Trump supporters defended the post, saying his focus on economic impact was valid. 'We need productivity, not paid time off,' one user replied on X.
Why didn't he tweet this on Columbus Day? pic.twitter.com/PHdhO2mFpe — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) June 19, 2025
Laziest man in the world wants you to work harder. pic.twitter.com/mzIwkFX91M — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) June 19, 2025
You lazy fucks aren't working enough. pic.twitter.com/h7yxI3vrRO — Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 19, 2025
First it was our kids had to many toys, now we have to many holidays. 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/4niJ9zLCc2 — Lev Parnas (@levparnas) June 19, 2025
Trump just said on Truth Social that there are too many 'non-working holidays in America.' Not only is he trying to make you work MORE but also he's taking an apparent dig at Juneteenth.
This is coming from the same guy who golfs every weekend. Pathetic. pic.twitter.com/pqV318etyN — Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) June 19, 2025
Trump, who previously claimed he made Juneteenth 'very famous,' has made eliminating DEI programs and slashing federal holidays part of his broader campaign to reshape the federal workforce and culture.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
40 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
Israeli defence minister warns Hezbollah against joining conflict with Iran
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Lebanon's Hezbollah to exercise caution on Friday, saying Israel's patience with 'terrorists' who threaten it had worn thin. The head of Iran-backed Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said on Thursday that the Lebanese group would act as it saw fit in the face of what he called 'brutal Israeli-American aggression' against Iran. Israel-Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy In other statements, the group has made no explicit pledge to join the fighting and a Hezbollah official told Reuters last week that the group did not intend to initiate attacks against Israel.
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
Israel army says struck weapons research centre in Tehran
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel's military said Friday it struck dozens of targets in Tehran overnight, including what it called a centre for the 'research and development of Iran's nuclear weapons project,' in the eighth day of war between the two foes. In a statement, the army said it had 'completed a series of strikes in the heart of Tehran: dozens of targets were struck, including military missile production sites and the SPND (Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research) headquarters for research and development of Iran's nuclear weapons project.' According to the Israeli military the SPND headquarters 'is used for research and development of advanced technologies and weapons supporting the Iranian regime's military capabilities.' The army said that during the night on Thursday more than 60 fighter jets struck dozens of military targets. 'Among the targets were sites producing missile components and facilities manufacturing raw materials used in casting missile engines,' it added. The military also said it intercepted overnight four UAVs launched from Iran. Israel-Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy In a separate statement, the army said on Friday it had hit 'three ready-to-launch missile launchers aimed at Israeli territory'. Israel, claiming that Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, launched air strikes against its arch-enemy a week ago, triggering deadly exchanges. European foreign ministers will hold talks Friday with their Iranian counterpart, hoping to reach a diplomatic solution to the war as US President Donald Trump mulls the prospect of US involvement.
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
Israel-Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy
TEL AVIV/DUBAI/WASHINGTON: Israel and Iran's air war entered a second week on Friday and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, the Human Rights Activists News Agency said. Those killed include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side. Israel has targeted nuclear sites and missile capabilities, and sought to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Western and regional officials. 'Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. Iran has said it is targeting military and defence-related sites in Israel, although it has also hit a hospital and other civilian sites. Israel accused Iran on Thursday of deliberately targeting civilians through the use of cluster munitions, which disperse small bombs over a wide area. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. With neither country backing down, the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany along with the European Union foreign policy chief were due to meet in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister to try to de-escalate the conflict on Friday. 'Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one,' said British Foreign Minister David Lammy ahead of their joint meeting with Abbas Araqchi, Iran's foreign minister. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met Lammy on Thursday and held separate calls with his counterparts from Australia, France and Italy to discuss the conflict. The US State Department said that Rubio and the foreign ministers agreed that 'Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.' Lammy said the same on X while adding that the situation in the Middle East 'remained perilous' and a 'window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.' Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both condemned Israel and agreed that de-escalation is needed, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The role of the United States remained uncertain. Trump's special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, has spoken with Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. The White House said Trump will take part in a national security meeting on Friday morning. The president has alternated between threatening Tehran and urging it to resume nuclear talks that were suspended over the conflict. Missile strikes At dawn on Friday, the Israeli military issued a fresh warning of an incoming barrage of missiles from Iran. At least one made a direct impact in Beersheba, Israel's largest southern city, which has been targeted in recent days. The missile struck near residential apartments, office buildings, and industrial facilities, leaving a large crater and ripping off the facade of at least one apartment complex while damaging several others. 'We have a direct strike next to one of the buildings. The damage here is quite (extensive),' paramedic Shafir Botner said. Israeli public broadcaster Kan aired footage showing cars engulfed in flames, thick plumes of smoke and shattered windows at apartment buildings. At least six people sustained light injuries in the blast, according to Botner, who said that first responders were still searching apartments for casualties. On Thursday, Iran hit a major hospital in Beersheba, Israel's largest city in the south. Iran said it was targeting Israeli military headquarters near the hospital but Israel has denied there were any such facilities in the area. Israel's military also said it had carried out several overnight strikes in the heart of the Iranian capital. The military said the targets included missile production sites and a facility for nuclear weapons research and development. Trump has mused about striking Iran, possibly with a 'bunker buster' bomb that could destroy nuclear sites built deep underground. The White House said Trump would decide in the next two weeks whether to get involved in the war. That may not be a firm deadline. Trump has commonly used 'two weeks' as a time frame for making decisions and allowed other economic and diplomatic deadlines to slide. With the Islamic Republic facing one of its greatest external threats since the 1979 revolution, any direct challenge to its 46-year-long rule would likely require some form of popular uprising. But activists involved in previous bouts of protest say they are unwilling to unleash mass unrest, even against a system they hate, with their nation under attack. 'How are people supposed to pour into the streets? In such horrifying circumstances, people are solely focused on saving themselves, their families, their compatriots, and even their pets,' said Atena Daemi, a prominent activist who spent six years in prison before leaving Iran.
