{"id":2901,"date":"2025-12-09T13:26:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T13:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=2901"},"modified":"2025-12-09T13:26:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T13:26:11","slug":"outrage-as-donald-trump-replaces-two-major-holidays-with-his-own-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=2901","title":{"rendered":"Outrage as Donald Trump replaces two major holidays with his own birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Donald Trump has stirred major backlash after altering the list of free-admission days for US National Parks \u2014 cutting two historically significant holidays while inserting one that honours himself.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Over the weekend, it was revealed that the National Park Service (NPS) will no longer waive entrance fees on Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Juneteenth. Instead, Trump\u2019s own birthday, June 14 \u2014 which coincides with the national holiday Flag Day \u2014 has been added to the 2026 fee-free calendar, alongside Independence Day weekend and the birthday of President Theodore Roosevelt.<\/p>\n

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed each January on the Monday closest to the civil rights icon\u2019s birthday, commemorates his legacy as a pastor, activist, and central figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Juneteenth, observed every June 19, marks the end of slavery in the United States.<\/p>\n

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According to the BBC, the changes fall under Trump\u2019s plan to \u201cmodernize\u201d the National Park Service beginning in 2026. The initiative also restructures park fees to advantage US citizens over foreign visitors, following an executive order he issued in July.<\/p>\n

Although Trump added his own birthday as a \u201cpatriotic\u201d free-entry date, the NPS clarified that non-US citizens will still be required to pay fees, even on fee-free days.<\/p>\n

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For 2026, Americans will be able to enter national parks at no cost on the following dates: President\u2019s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day\/Trump\u2019s birthday, Independence Day weekend, the National Park Service\u2019s 110th anniversary, Constitution Day, Theodore Roosevelt\u2019s birthday, and Veterans Day.<\/p>\n

Under the Biden administration, both MLK Day and Juneteenth were included on the fee-free list. Now, US residents will need to purchase an $80 (\u00a360) annual pass, while international visitors will face a much steeper $250 (\u00a3187.62) fee, the Department of the Interior recently announced.<\/p>\n

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Public reaction online has been swift and angry. One X (Twitter) user wrote:<\/strong>
\n\u201cThis man is so obsessed with himself, it\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Another added:
\n\u201cHe removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the free-entry schedule and replaced them with HIS OWN birthday. Who else thinks that\u2019s pathetic?\u201d<\/p>\n

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A third person commented:
\n\u201cThey\u2019re calling it \u2018modernizing\u2019 the park calendar. But what\u2019s really happening is a rewriting of national memory \u2014 and pretending it\u2019s policy is dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

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