For the second year in a row, President Donald Trump did not publicly acknowledge Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, despite celebrations of grandeur ahead of Independence Day events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

No events observing Juneteenth were announced on the official White House schedule either, which only listed executive time, a greeting with U.S. Air Force service members at Joint Base Andrews and travel to Camp David.

And while the White House issued proclamations for other recent holidays and commemorative months, none have been issued for Juneteenth.

Instead of marking the holiday, Trump toured the base and unveiled the new Air Force One aircraft, gifted to the U.S. by the Qatari government last year, lavishing praise on the estimated $400 million luxury jet now modified for official travel.

He also fired off dozens of Truth Social posts, touting the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreements and defending the terms of negotiations from critics.

This isn’t the first time Trump has declined to acknowledge Juneteenth, which became the 11th federal holiday after President Joe Biden designated it as such in 2021. But the omission is yet another striking reversal of overtures made in pursuit of Black voters during his 2024 presidential campaign.

Since returning to office, the Trump administration has banned diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or DEI, in the federal government, and sought to remove Black history content and other racial heritage displays from government websites.

Last year, the Trump administration removed Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day from the National Park Service’s annual fee-free days list, drawing heavy criticism from the NAACP and other civil rights organizations.

Those days were replaced with observances like Flag Day on June 14 — which also falls on Trump’s birthday.

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