Amid widespread speculation and confusion fueled by recent changes to federal agency policies and national park access, questions have emerged over whether President Donald Trump attempted to cancel Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Juneteenth as federal holidays. The answer is no. A sitting president does not have the authority to eliminate a federal holiday; doing so would require an act of Congress. As a result, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth remain congressionally established federal holidays, with banks, post offices, and federal offices continuing to close in observance.
The controversy stems instead from a policy shift affecting the National Park Service. Beginning in 2026, the Trump administration has revised the agency’s “fee-free” calendar, removing MLK Day and Juneteenth from the list of days when visitors may enter national parks without paying entrance fees. The updated schedule replaces those dates with others, including Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Constitution Day, and June 14 — which coincides with both Flag Day and President Trump’s birthday — as fee-free days for U.S. residents.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights organizations and national park advocates, who argue that removing MLK Day and Juneteenth from the fee-free calendar symbolically diminishes recognition of pivotal moments in Black American history. Critics also contend the change could reduce park accessibility for historically underrepresented communities.
In a statement issued last month, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said:
“Removing MLK Day and Juneteenth from the national parks calendar is more than petty politics — it’s an attack on the truth of this nation’s history. It’s an attempt to erase the legacy of Dr. King, minimize the story of emancipation, and sideline the communities that have fought for generations to make America live up to its promise. We will not stand by while this Administration tries to turn public spaces into instruments of division.”
Separately, earlier actions by individual federal agencies — including a decision by the Defense Intelligence Agency to pause internal observances tied to MLK Day, Black History Month, and other cultural awareness programs in compliance with executive orders limiting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives — have further fueled debate and contributed to public misunderstanding about the status of the holidays themselves.