Galveston: On the federal holiday of Juneteenth, President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden delivered contrasting messages on Thursday that underscored a broader cultural and political divide over how the nation commemorates its past. Speaking at Reedy Chapel AME Church in Galveston, where Union Army orders were first read on June 19, 1865, declaring freedom for enslaved people in Texas, Biden used his remarks to celebrate historical truth and caution against what he called 'ongoing efforts to erase history.'
According to Anadolu Agency, Biden highlighted the monumental importance of Juneteenth to America's story and addressed efforts to undermine its significance. Without directly naming President Trump, Biden criticized the administration's approach to education and historical memory, particularly efforts to restore Confederate names to US military bases. He emphasized that darkness can hide much but cannot erase history, drawing laughter from the audience when he referred to 'this guy' before making the sign of the cross. Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law in 2021, marking June 19 as a federal holiday.
Meanwhile, President Trump used the occasion to voice his criticism of the increase in federal holidays, arguing that they impose an economic burden. On Truth Social, he expressed concerns about the financial implications of too many non-working holidays in America, urging for a change to 'MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.' At a White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump had no plans to issue a proclamation observing Juneteenth. Though Trump previously claimed credit for popularizing Juneteenth, he did not move to make it a federal holiday while in office.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and announced the end of slavery, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The date remains the oldest regular US observance of the end of slavery.