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NDTV
4 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Trump Is Silent About Juneteenth On A Day He Previously Honoured As President
Washington: President Donald Trump honored Juneteenth in each of his first four years as president, even before it became a federal holiday. He even claimed once to have made it "very famous." But on this year's Juneteenth holiday on Thursday, the usually talkative president kept silent about a day important to Black Americans for marking the end of slavery in the country he leads again. No words about it from his lips, on paper or through his social media site. Asked whether Trump would commemorate Juneteenth in any way, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: "I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I know this is a federal holiday. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We're working 24/7 right now." Asked in a follow-up question whether Trump might recognize the occasion another way or on another day, Leavitt said, "I just answered that question for you." On Wednesday, Black community leaders from across the country, senior Trump administration officials and other individuals met at the White House to discuss improving coordination between the leaders and federal, state and local partners, according to a senior White House official. Housing Secretary Scott Turner and Lynne Patton, director of minority outreach, were among those who attended, said the official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a private gathering. The Republican president's silence was a sharp contrast from his prior acknowledgement of the holiday. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States by commemorating June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Their freedom came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln liberated slaves in the Confederacy by signing the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. Trump's quiet on the issue also deviated from White House guidance that Trump planned to sign a Juneteenth proclamation. Leavitt didn't explain the change. Trump held no public events Thursday, but he shared statements about Iran, the TikTok app and Fed chairman Jerome Powell on his social media site. In the evening, Trump complained on the site about "too many non-working holidays" and said it is "costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed." But most retailers are open on Juneteenth while most federal workers get a day off because the government is closed. He had more to say about Juneteenth in yearly statements in his first term. In 2017, Trump invoked the "soulful festivities and emotional rejoicing" that swept through the Galveston crowd when a major general delivered the news that all enslaved people were free. He told the Galveston story in each of the next three years. "Together, we honor the unbreakable spirit and countless contributions of generations of African Americans to the story of American greatness," he added in his 2018 statement. In 2019: "Across our country, the contributions of African Americans continue to enrich every facet of American life." In 2020: "June reminds us of both the unimaginable injustice of slavery and the incomparable joy that must have attended emancipation. It is both a remembrance of a blight on our history and a celebration of our Nation's unsurpassed ability to triumph over darkness." In 2020, after suspending his campaign rallies because of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump chose Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the place to resume his public gatherings and scheduled a rally for June 19. But the decision met with such fierce criticism that Trump postponed the event by a day. Black leaders had said it was offensive for Trump to choose June 19 and Tulsa for a campaign event, given the significance of Juneteenth and Tulsa being the place where, in 1921, a white mob looted and burned that city's Greenwood district, an economically thriving area referred to as Black Wall Street. As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands were temporarily held in internment camps overseen by the National Guard. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal days before the rally, Trump tried to put a positive spin on the situation by claiming that he had made Juneteenth "famous." He said he changed the rally date out of respect for two African American friends and supporters. "I did something good. I made it famous. I made Juneteenth very famous," Trump said. "It's actually an important event, it's an important time. But nobody had heard of it. Very few people have heard of it." Generations of Black Americans celebrated Juneteenth long before it became a federal holiday in 2021 with the stroke of President Joe Biden's pen. Later in 2020, Trump sought to woo Black voters with a series of campaign promises, including establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. He lost the election, and that made it possible for Biden, a Democrat, to sign the legislation establishing Juneteenth as the newest federal holiday. Shortly after being sworn in for his second term in January, Trump signed an executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government, calling them "illegal and immoral discrimination programs." Biden issued annual Juneteenth proclamations during his four years in office, and observed some of the holidays with large concerts on the South Lawn. Biden's final observance in 2024 featured performances by Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle. Vice President Kamala Harris danced onstage with gospel singer Kirk Franklin. Biden was spending this year's holiday in Galveston, Texas, where he was set to speak at a historic African Methodist Episcopal church.
The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Donald Trump appears to bash Juneteenth celebrations
The president did not specifically name the holiday in his post. Juneteenth commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, when the last Black slaves of the Confederacy were ordered free following the arrival of Union troops in Galveston, Texas. It has long been celebrated by Black Americans, but it rose to national prominence in 2020 amid protests against racial inequities, sparked in part by the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. It was officially recognized a federal holiday by then-President Joe Biden in 2021. It wasn't immediately clear what costs Trump was referring to in his post. Private companies are not forced to close on federal holidays, and many don't. Most national banks, federal offices and the United States Postal Service were closed in honor of Juneteenth. However, major retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Target and Starbucks were open on the holiday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked by reporters earlier in the day whether Trump was expected to commemorate Juneteenth. "I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today," she responded. "I know this is a federal holiday." Trump has previously honored Juneteenth, including in his first term as president. But Trump created controversy in 2020 after scheduling his first rally since COVID-19 lockdowns in Tulsa, Oklahoma - the site of one of the worst massacres of Black Americans in the country's history - on Juneteenth. He later changed the date of the event. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Saman Shafiq
India Today
10 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Trump on Juneteenth: US has too many non-working holidays
US President Donald Trump on Thursday criticized what he called an excess of 'non-working holidays' in the country and vowed to roll them back. His remarks came on Juneteenth, a federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States.'Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. 'The workers don't want it either,' he added. 'Soon we'll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year. It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Trump did not participate in any Juneteenth events or celebrations. His comments, posted the same day many federal offices and private employers were closed to observe Juneteenth, drew sharp reactions from critics and supporters. The holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, became a federal holiday in 2021 under Joe Biden. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States by commemorating June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Their freedom came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln liberated enslaved people in the Confederacy by signing the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil holiday has been celebrated by Black Americans for generations, but became more widely observed after being designated a federal holiday in 2021 by former president Joe Biden, who was expected to attend an event in Galveston, the holiday's celebrations come as President Donald Trump's administration has worked to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or DEI, in the federal government and remove content about Black American history from federal websites. Trump's travel ban on visitors from select countries has also led to bitter national who once claimed to have 'made Juneteenth very famous' during his 2020 campaign, did not attend or acknowledge any celebrations this year. No proclamation or formal statement was issued from his campaign or on the issue, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: 'I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I know this is a federal holiday. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We're working 24/7 right now.'Asked in a follow-up question whether Trump might recognize the occasion another way or on another day, Leavitt said, 'I just answered that question for you.'However, Trump shared statements on his social media site about Iran, the TikTok app, and Fed Chairman Jerome honoured Juneteenth in his first four years as president, even before it became a federal holiday.(With inputs from AP)Tune InMust Watch
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Donald Trump appears to knock Juneteenth celebrations
Donald Trump appears to knock Juneteenth celebrations Show Caption Hide Caption Tiktok stays as President Donald Trump extends deadline for ban President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline to ban Tiktok. President Donald Trump appeared to criticize Juneteenth celebrations in a post on social media, saying there are "too many non-working holidays in America." "It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed," Trump said on June 19. "The workers don't want it either! Soon we'll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year." The president did not specifically name the holiday in his post. Juneteenth commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, when the last Black slaves of the Confederacy were ordered free following the arrival of Union troops in Galveston, Texas. It has long been celebrated by Black Americans, but it rose to national prominence in 2020 amid protests against racial inequities, sparked in part by the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. It was officially recognized a federal holiday by then-President Joe Biden in 2021. It wasn't immediately clear what costs Trump was referring to in his post. Private companies are not forced to close on federal holidays, and many don't. Most national banks, federal offices and the United States Postal Service were closed in honor of Juneteenth. However, major retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Target and Starbucks were open on the holiday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked by reporters earlier in the day whether Trump was expected to commemorate Juneteenth. 'I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today," she responded. "I know this is a federal holiday." Trump has previously honored Juneteenth, including in his first term as president. But Trump created controversy in 2020 after scheduling his first rally since COVID-19 lockdowns in Tulsa, Oklahoma – the site of one of the worst massacres of Black Americans in the country's history – on Juneteenth. He later changed the date of the event. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Saman Shafiq
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Trump ignores Juneteenth marking end of slavery
Donald Trump has kept silent this year about a day important to Black Americans - Juneteenth - despite marking the occasion in his first four years as US president. June 19 signifies the end of slavery in the US - commemorating the date in 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Their freedom came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln liberated slaves in the Confederacy by signing the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. Asked whether Trump would commemorate Juneteenth in any way, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: "I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I know this is a federal holiday. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We're working 24/7 right now." The Republican president's silence was a sharp contrast from his prior acknowledgement of the holiday. It also deviated from White House guidance that Trump planned to sign a Juneteenth proclamation. Trump held no public events on Thursday, but he shared statements about Iran, the TikTok app and Fed chairman Jerome Powell on his social media site. In 2017, Trump invoked the "soulful festivities and emotional rejoicing" that swept through the Galveston crowd when a major general delivered the news that all enslaved people were free. He told the Galveston story in each of the next three years. "Together, we honour the unbreakable spirit and countless contributions of generations of African Americans to the story of American greatness," he added in his 2018 statement. In 2019: "Across our country, the contributions of African Americans continue to enrich every facet of American life." In 2020: "June reminds us of both the unimaginable injustice of slavery and the incomparable joy that must have attended emancipation. It is both a remembrance of a blight on our history and a celebration of our Nation's unsurpassed ability to triumph over darkness." After suspending his campaign rallies in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump chose Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the place to resume his public gatherings and scheduled a rally for June 19. But the decision met with such fierce criticism that Trump postponed the event by a day. Black leaders had said it was offensive for Trump to choose June 19 and Tulsa for a campaign event, given the significance of Juneteenth and Tulsa being the place where, in 1921, a white mob looted and burned that city's Greenwood district, an economically thriving area referred to as Black Wall Street. As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands were temporarily held in internment camps overseen by the National Guard. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal days before the rally, Trump tried to put a positive spin on the situation by claiming that he had made Juneteenth "famous." "I did something good. I made it famous. I made Juneteenth very famous," Trump said. "It's actually an important event, it's an important time. But nobody had heard of it. Very few people have heard of it." Generations of Black Americans celebrated Juneteenth long before it became a federal holiday in 2021 with the stroke of President Joe Biden's pen. Shortly after being sworn in for his second term in January, Trump signed an executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government, calling them "illegal and immoral discrimination programs." Donald Trump has kept silent this year about a day important to Black Americans - Juneteenth - despite marking the occasion in his first four years as US president. June 19 signifies the end of slavery in the US - commemorating the date in 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Their freedom came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln liberated slaves in the Confederacy by signing the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. Asked whether Trump would commemorate Juneteenth in any way, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: "I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I know this is a federal holiday. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We're working 24/7 right now." The Republican president's silence was a sharp contrast from his prior acknowledgement of the holiday. It also deviated from White House guidance that Trump planned to sign a Juneteenth proclamation. Trump held no public events on Thursday, but he shared statements about Iran, the TikTok app and Fed chairman Jerome Powell on his social media site. In 2017, Trump invoked the "soulful festivities and emotional rejoicing" that swept through the Galveston crowd when a major general delivered the news that all enslaved people were free. He told the Galveston story in each of the next three years. "Together, we honour the unbreakable spirit and countless contributions of generations of African Americans to the story of American greatness," he added in his 2018 statement. In 2019: "Across our country, the contributions of African Americans continue to enrich every facet of American life." In 2020: "June reminds us of both the unimaginable injustice of slavery and the incomparable joy that must have attended emancipation. It is both a remembrance of a blight on our history and a celebration of our Nation's unsurpassed ability to triumph over darkness." After suspending his campaign rallies in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump chose Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the place to resume his public gatherings and scheduled a rally for June 19. But the decision met with such fierce criticism that Trump postponed the event by a day. Black leaders had said it was offensive for Trump to choose June 19 and Tulsa for a campaign event, given the significance of Juneteenth and Tulsa being the place where, in 1921, a white mob looted and burned that city's Greenwood district, an economically thriving area referred to as Black Wall Street. As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands were temporarily held in internment camps overseen by the National Guard. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal days before the rally, Trump tried to put a positive spin on the situation by claiming that he had made Juneteenth "famous." "I did something good. I made it famous. I made Juneteenth very famous," Trump said. "It's actually an important event, it's an important time. But nobody had heard of it. Very few people have heard of it." Generations of Black Americans celebrated Juneteenth long before it became a federal holiday in 2021 with the stroke of President Joe Biden's pen. Shortly after being sworn in for his second term in January, Trump signed an executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government, calling them "illegal and immoral discrimination programs." Donald Trump has kept silent this year about a day important to Black Americans - Juneteenth - despite marking the occasion in his first four years as US president. June 19 signifies the end of slavery in the US - commemorating the date in 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Their freedom came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln liberated slaves in the Confederacy by signing the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. Asked whether Trump would commemorate Juneteenth in any way, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: "I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I know this is a federal holiday. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We're working 24/7 right now." The Republican president's silence was a sharp contrast from his prior acknowledgement of the holiday. It also deviated from White House guidance that Trump planned to sign a Juneteenth proclamation. Trump held no public events on Thursday, but he shared statements about Iran, the TikTok app and Fed chairman Jerome Powell on his social media site. In 2017, Trump invoked the "soulful festivities and emotional rejoicing" that swept through the Galveston crowd when a major general delivered the news that all enslaved people were free. He told the Galveston story in each of the next three years. "Together, we honour the unbreakable spirit and countless contributions of generations of African Americans to the story of American greatness," he added in his 2018 statement. In 2019: "Across our country, the contributions of African Americans continue to enrich every facet of American life." In 2020: "June reminds us of both the unimaginable injustice of slavery and the incomparable joy that must have attended emancipation. It is both a remembrance of a blight on our history and a celebration of our Nation's unsurpassed ability to triumph over darkness." After suspending his campaign rallies in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump chose Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the place to resume his public gatherings and scheduled a rally for June 19. But the decision met with such fierce criticism that Trump postponed the event by a day. Black leaders had said it was offensive for Trump to choose June 19 and Tulsa for a campaign event, given the significance of Juneteenth and Tulsa being the place where, in 1921, a white mob looted and burned that city's Greenwood district, an economically thriving area referred to as Black Wall Street. As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands were temporarily held in internment camps overseen by the National Guard. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal days before the rally, Trump tried to put a positive spin on the situation by claiming that he had made Juneteenth "famous." "I did something good. I made it famous. I made Juneteenth very famous," Trump said. "It's actually an important event, it's an important time. But nobody had heard of it. Very few people have heard of it." Generations of Black Americans celebrated Juneteenth long before it became a federal holiday in 2021 with the stroke of President Joe Biden's pen. Shortly after being sworn in for his second term in January, Trump signed an executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government, calling them "illegal and immoral discrimination programs." Donald Trump has kept silent this year about a day important to Black Americans - Juneteenth - despite marking the occasion in his first four years as US president. June 19 signifies the end of slavery in the US - commemorating the date in 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Their freedom came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln liberated slaves in the Confederacy by signing the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. Asked whether Trump would commemorate Juneteenth in any way, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: "I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I know this is a federal holiday. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We're working 24/7 right now." The Republican president's silence was a sharp contrast from his prior acknowledgement of the holiday. It also deviated from White House guidance that Trump planned to sign a Juneteenth proclamation. Trump held no public events on Thursday, but he shared statements about Iran, the TikTok app and Fed chairman Jerome Powell on his social media site. In 2017, Trump invoked the "soulful festivities and emotional rejoicing" that swept through the Galveston crowd when a major general delivered the news that all enslaved people were free. He told the Galveston story in each of the next three years. "Together, we honour the unbreakable spirit and countless contributions of generations of African Americans to the story of American greatness," he added in his 2018 statement. In 2019: "Across our country, the contributions of African Americans continue to enrich every facet of American life." In 2020: "June reminds us of both the unimaginable injustice of slavery and the incomparable joy that must have attended emancipation. It is both a remembrance of a blight on our history and a celebration of our Nation's unsurpassed ability to triumph over darkness." After suspending his campaign rallies in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump chose Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the place to resume his public gatherings and scheduled a rally for June 19. But the decision met with such fierce criticism that Trump postponed the event by a day. Black leaders had said it was offensive for Trump to choose June 19 and Tulsa for a campaign event, given the significance of Juneteenth and Tulsa being the place where, in 1921, a white mob looted and burned that city's Greenwood district, an economically thriving area referred to as Black Wall Street. As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands were temporarily held in internment camps overseen by the National Guard. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal days before the rally, Trump tried to put a positive spin on the situation by claiming that he had made Juneteenth "famous." "I did something good. I made it famous. I made Juneteenth very famous," Trump said. "It's actually an important event, it's an important time. But nobody had heard of it. Very few people have heard of it." Generations of Black Americans celebrated Juneteenth long before it became a federal holiday in 2021 with the stroke of President Joe Biden's pen. Shortly after being sworn in for his second term in January, Trump signed an executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government, calling them "illegal and immoral discrimination programs."
