Trump’s unusual proposal to replace Veterans Day with new ‘Victory Day’ months later: Live updates

By Geoff Earle, Deputy U.S. Political Editor

President Donald Trump posted his intention to ‘rename’ May 8th ‘Victory Day’ and rename Veterans Day and Armistice Day as ‘Victory Day for World War I.’

His announcement came in a Truth Social post in advance of the day that has been known as V-E Day or for the Allied victory in Europe.

His post comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to stage a major parade in Moscow May 9 attended by other world leaders including China’s Xi Jinping to celebrate the Russia’s role in the victory over the Nazis in World War II.

It has been in the news after Putin proposed a temporary ceasefire around the parade even while refusing to back an immediate ceasefire in the war on Ukraine, prompting pushback from Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky said Russia was ‘worried that their parade is in jeopardy, and rightly so,’ raising alarm in Moscow.

‘We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything — That’s because we don’t have leaders anymore, that know how to do so! We are going to start celebrating our victories again!’ Trump wrote late Thursday night.

Trump frequently speaks about the importance of ‘winning,’ although the Allied victory in World War II happened more than 80 years ago. The Soviet Union lost a staggering number of troops, estimated at between 9 and 11 million, in the effort on the Eastern Front.

Congress has designated the existing federal holidays, so it was not immediately clear what the impact of Trump’s proclamation would be.

Trump’s plan to rename Veterans Day and rename May 8 ‘Victory in World War II Day’ is stirring up reaction online.

One X account, American Veteran, an anti-Trump account with nearly 100,000 followers, posted on the renaming and brough up the president’s multiple deferments during the Vietnam era.

‘Trump, you are a draft dodging coward keep away from our Veterans celebrations. Veterans Day was never to celebrate “victories”, its celebrate service [sic]. Something you don’t know one damn thing about. This is idiotic.’

Influential political duo Mike and Kelly Johnson marked their decades-long wedding anniversary by sharing an unrecognizable throwback photo.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded to the jokes that, in addition to all his other duties in the Trump administration, he could be the next pope.

‘No, we thought about it, but you have to – it’s an unmarried Catholic male. You don’t have to be a priest. People don’t know that,’ he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Thursday night.

‘Any unmarried Catholic male can be pope, but I got married and I’m happily married, so I guess I’ll miss out on that one.’

Rubio and his wife Jeanette married in October 1998 and have four children.

In addition to heading the State Department for President Donald Trump, Rubio also serves as the National Security Advisor, the Acting USAID Administrator, and the Acting Archivist.

After Trump gave Rubio his latest job on Thursday – the NSA position – Vice President JD Vance joked on Twitter that Rubio – a devout Catholic – could also be pope.

Pope Francis died April 21st. The conclave to elect a new pontiff begins on May 7th.

President Donald Trump announced on Friday he’s taking away Harvard’s tax exempt status as he escalates his war on ivy league universities.

‘We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!,’ he wrote on Truth Social.

The president, since taking office in January, has gone after America’s elite schools by freezing their federal funding and revoking student visas as part of the fallout from protests on campuses against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Harvard has been fighting the administration’s new demands.

Employers in the United States added 177,000 jobs in April, pushing past analyst predictions of 135,000.

The unemployment rate remained at 4.2 percent, the same rate as March.

The news was reassuring to the markets, as analysts were watching for any changes as a result of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and dramatic cuts in the federal workforce.

Provocative far-right commentator Laura Loomer hinted that she may have helped oust Mike Waltz from his national security adviser role.

Loomer told journalist Tara Palmeri that she had sounded the alarm about Waltz’s anti-Trump past and claimed he hadn’t vetted his staff to weed out liberals.

Waltz has been a lightning rod for controversy in the still-nascent second Trump administration. He has been to blame for accidentally leaking military plans to the press via an unfortunate Signal group chat.