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  • President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social criticizing the number of non-working holidays in the U.S., citing economic costs.
  • Trump previously declared two new holidays commemorating the end of WWI and WWII but stated offices would not close for them.
  • The U.S. has 11 federal holidays, though observance varies among businesses.

President Donald Trump seemingly took a dig at Juneteenth in a social media post late on the holiday.

Trump, in a June 19 post on Truth Social, opined that there are “too many non-working holidays in America.” He said they were harming the nation’s economy. The president had his staff working on Juneteenth despite the day being a federal holiday.

“It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed,” Trump said in his post. “The workers don’t want it either! Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every working day of the year.”

The president did not say that businesses should avoid giving time off for Juneteenth. However, he implied this idea; while many companies and much of the federal government closed for the holiday, the White House was open.

What is Juneteenth?

The holiday honors the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the freedom of enslaved African Americans in states that had seceded, but those in Galveston, Texas, wouldn’t learn of their liberation until two years later.

On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger notified the Galveston community about Lincoln’s proclamation. Even though enslaved individuals had been officially freed earlier, those who enslaved them neglected to inform them of the order until Union forces arrived to enforce it, as stated by Cliff Robinson, the founder of Juneteenth.com. Texas was the last Confederate state to receive the proclamation.

President Trump’s new holidays

In a post on Truth Social on May 5, the president said that the United States never took credit for winning the two world wars that it fought in, and he believes it is time to change this.

His post states that there will be two national holidays to commemorate the United States’ victories in World War I and World War II. The president listed these dates as the final dates for each war.

The two new holidays celebrating the end of the World Wars would take place on May 8 for the end of World War II and on Nov. 11 for the end of World War I. Though these were declared national holidays, the president stated that offices would not close on either holiday because the U.S. already has too many.

How many non-working holidays are there in the United States?

In the United States, there are 11 non-working federal holidays; however, not all businesses recognize all of these holidays.

Holidays most often observed by businesses include:

  • New Year’s Day: Jan. 1
  • Memorial Day: last Monday in May
  • Independence Day: July 4
  • Labor Day: first Monday in September
  • Thanksgiving Day: fourth Thursday in November
  • Christmas Day: Dec. 25

Less frequently acknowledged holidays include:

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day: third Monday in January
  • President’s Day: third Monday in February
  • Juneteenth: June 19
  • Columbus Day: second Monday in October
  • Veterans Day: Nov. 11