President Donald Trump has declared that he is renaming Veterans Day (November 11) and Victory in Europe (V-E) Day (May 8) in an effort to properly celebrate winning World Wars I and II.
“I am hereby renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War I,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Thursday. “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!”
The proposal has raised questions about whether a president has the legal authority to rename a long-standing federal holiday, or if that power rests elsewhere.
What the Law Says
Veterans Day, observed annually on November 11, is often recognized as the end of “the war to end all wars,” per the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. WWII ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles in France. But fighting ceased earlier when an armistice between Germany and the Allied nations began on November 11. On May 13, 1938, it became a legal holiday, originally called Armistice Day.
Despite Trump’s declaration, only Congress has the power to create or change published holidays through legislation, according to the Library of Congress.
Further, a document from the Congressional Research Service says: “Neither Congress nor the President has asserted the authority to declare a ‘national holiday’ that would be binding on the 50 states, as each state individually determines its legal holidays.”
V-E Day marks the end of World War II in Europe and is not a federal holiday in the U.S. It would require the same legality as that of Veterans Day.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management recognizes these 11 days as federal holidays:
- New Year’s Day (January 1).
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January).
- Washington’s Birthday (Third Monday in February).
- Memorial Day (Last Monday in May).
- Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19).
- Independence Day (July 4).
- Labor Day (First Monday in September).
- Columbus Day (Second Monday in October).
- Veterans Day (November 11).
- Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November).
- Christmas Day (December 25).
Could Trump Still Influence the Holiday?
While Trump could issue a symbolic proclamation as president, any formal renaming or rescheduling of Veterans Day would require congressional approval. The president could then sign it into law.
Trump has not indicated whether he intends to implement an executive order to rename the holidays, which could shortcut congressional approval. He also hasn’t suggested he will work with lawmakers to pursue such a legislative change.
What’s Next
Trump has not clarified whether he would attempt to secure congressional backing for the name change. For now, Veterans Day remains untouched legally, and any efforts to rename it will require more than a Truth Social post.
The post Can Donald Trump Rename Veterans Day? What We Know appeared first on Newsweek.
