President Donald Trump issued a proclamation honouring Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday evening, after spending much of the day posting on Truth Social about alleged election fraud and immigration enforcement. The White House proclamation, which hailed King's “extraordinary resolve” and “commitment to justice”, was posted on the White House website shortly before 6 p.m. Washington time, according to an automated tracker.
The delay drew criticism online, with many noting that Trump had earlier posted about “rigged elections” and ICE raids. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, shared the proclamation roughly nine hours after posting a message commemorating a college football game, which was the White House's first official public correspondence on Monday.
Trump has issued proclamations for MLK Day every year during his first term, though he was criticised in 2018 for spending the holiday on the golf course. This year, he spent the day at Mar-a-Lago before attending the National College Football Championship in Miami. The National Park Service recently announced it will no longer offer free admission on MLK Day, replacing it with free entry on Flag Day and Trump's birthday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticised the move, saying his state would offer free entry at more than 200 parks in honour 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.”
Members of the King family also spoke out against the Trump administration in the days leading up to the holiday. Martin Luther King III told Axios there had been a “coordinated effort to erase or rewrite parts of American history, especially Black history and the legacy of Dr. King.”
