Donald Trump has revealed his intentions to rename Veterans Day, stating that Americans need "to start celebrating our victories again."
Posting late Thursday night on Truth Social, Trump revealed he would rename Veterans Day as “Victory Day for World War I,” claiming it’s time the U.S. started “celebrating our victories again.”
“We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything,” Trump wrote. “That’s because we don’t have leaders anymore, that know how to do so! We are going to start celebrating our victories again!”
As if one change wasn’t enough, Trump also declared he would rename Victory in Europe Day — typically marked on May 8 to honor the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany — to “Victory in World War II Day.”
According to Trump, this change is all about setting the record straight: “We did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result on World War II.”
While the former president’s comments are certain to resonate with his most loyal followers, the rebranding of Veterans Day in particular has left many scratching their heads, per Politico.
Originally established in 1919 as Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I, the holiday was expanded in the 1950s to honor veterans from all U.S. wars — including World War II, the Korean War, and later, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
By 1968, Veterans Day was declared a federal holiday, becoming a solemn moment of recognition for generations of U.S. service members.
As for May 8 — the date marking the end of fighting in Europe during WWII — it’s not even a federal holiday in the United States, though it is widely recognized as Victory in Europe Day.
However, the war didn’t officially end for the U.S. until several months later in September 1945, following Japan’s surrender after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
And Trump’s claim that America “did more than any other country” in securing World War II victory? That could spark serious international pushback — particularly from Russia.
The country commemorates its WWII effort as the “Great Patriotic War,” highlighting staggering Soviet losses: around 9 million troops and 19 million civilians were killed on the Eastern Front.
The United Kingdom, meanwhile, suffered immense damage from Germany’s Blitz bombing campaign.