President Donald Trump has so far not recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day through any official channels, and instead railed against alleged election fraud on his Truth Social account.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the trailblazing civil rights activist who was assassinated 56 years ago, is honored on the federal holiday on the third Monday of January each year.
The occasion has been marked by Trump’s predecessors, himself included, for nearly 40 years and began with former President Ronald Reagan in November 1983 after he signed the King Holiday Bill into law. During his first term, Trump issued proclamations for MLK Day every year from 2018 through 2021 — though he was criticized for spending the holiday on the golf course in 2018. On the holiday in 2019, Trump laid a wreath at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.
This year, Trump spent the holiday at Mar-a-Lago and is due to attend the National College Football Championship in Miami.
Trump’s lack of recognition for the holiday drew rebuke from many online.
“Is anyone surprised?” asked one account on X. “I’m surprised he didn’t issue an EO to permanently cancel MLK Day.”
The White House did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment.
Trump’s apparent break with tradition follows his administration’s rollback of civil rights and racial justice initiatives in federal agencies, corporations and universities through a series of executive orders.
The official White House account was mostly posting Monday about Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns in Minnesota following mass protests in Minneapolis, while Trump complained about “rigged elections.”
“Rigged Elections are common in the U.S., with the Presidential Election of 2020 being the Granddaddy of them all,” he said on Truth Social. “WE DEMAND VOTER I.D.”
Under Trump, the National Park Service recently announced it will no longer offer free admission to parks on MLK Day and Juneteenth. Instead, it will offer free admission on Flag Day and Trump’s birthday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said his state was offering free entry at more than 200 parks in the Golden State “in honor” of King.
“Donald Trump scrapped free entry to National Parks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and replaced it with his own birthday,” Newsom said. “California will not be following that path.”
“What more evidence do we need as to what the hell is going on in the United States of America?” Newsom added.
