Trump Criticized for Calling Juneteenth a 'Non-Working Holiday'

President Donald Trump was criticized on social media for complaining on Juneteenth that the United States has too many official holidays.

"Too many non-working holidays in America," the president complained on Truth Social on Thursday, offering no other comment on the annual holiday set aside to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States, which was brought about by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 and enacted at the end of the Civil War in 1865. 

"It costs our country billions of dollars to keep all of these firms closed.  Workers are also against it!  Soon, we'll have a holiday for every single working day of the year.  It must alter if we are to "Make America Great Again!"

The White House did not hold a ceremony to commemorate Juneteenth, which was established in American law four decades ago, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasizing that West Wing staffers were working as usual. 

"I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today," she stated about the president.  "I realize today is a federal holiday, but I'd like to thank everyone for coming to work.  We are undoubtedly present.  We are currently working 24 hours a day.

Rather than commemorate the occasion, Trump used his platform to discuss TikTok, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and the elimination of tip taxes.

In contrast, his predecessor, Joe Biden, spent the day celebrating at a Black church in Galveston, Texas. 

But the president's anger with Juneteenth drew ridicule, with California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell asking on X: "Why didn't he tweet this on Columbus Day?"

Journalist Sam Stein also criticized Trump, claiming that he "ran on making Juneteenth a national holiday in 2020" in an attempt to widen his appeal to Black voters.

Pundit Harry Sisson observed, "Not only is he attempting to make you work harder, but he's also making an apparent dig at Juneteenth.

"This is coming from the same guy who plays golf every weekend."  Pathetic."

Another user wished the president a "Happy Juneteenth Day!!!!" with a selfie of him sporting a matching "F*** Trump" baseball cap and T-shirt. 

Despite his dissatisfaction with the plethora of public holidays, Trump himself added two additional last month, marking the signing of the armistice that ended World War I on November 11, 1918, and Nazi Germany's surrender on May 8, 1945.

However, he was careful to state that "we will not be closing the country for these two significant holidays because we already have too many holidays in America."

The gesture was questioned because November 11 was already Veterans' Day, and American engagement in World War II lasted until August 15, 1945, when Imperial Japan surrendered, bringing the Pacific War to an end.