Stephen Colbert joked last week that President Donald Trump probably didn’t know enough about American history to grasp why holding the event on Juneteenth was insulting, before Trump announced that he had delayed a planned rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma to avoid holding the event on Juneteenth.
On Wednesday, Trump confirmed Colbert’s suggestion in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, saying that one of his black Secret Service agents explained the significance of the holiday, which honours the day that the last remaining slaves in the United States were informed of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Trump’s Interview
According to Trump’s interview, he can take credit for making Juneteenth a household name. “This is a significant time and event. But no one had ever heard of it before.
On Thursday’s episode of The Late Show, Colbert reprised his impression of Trump by saying, “In fact, I announced the rally that disturbed everyone on the tenth.” Therefore, I propose a new white people-only holiday I’m calling Junetenth, in honour of the day everyone found out about Juneteenth. In response to your kind words, thank you very much.
As observed by Colbert, Trump asked one of his advisers if she had heard of Juneteenth in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in an attempt to demonstrate that he “popularised” the event.
The unidentified White House official not only knew about Juneteenth, but also had to notify Trump that his government had already issued a statement honouring the holiday for 2019.
To Which the Respondent Exclaimed, “Oh Really?
Should we issue a public statement? “The Trump administration issued a statement?” The interview comments made by Trump. This is acceptable. Good.”
Colbert joked, “Really? And we issued a proclamation to mark the abolition of slavery? Simply put, that is not who I am. Do you have any idea how I make my ties?
An official presidential message, ostensibly authored by Trump, was distributed by the White House last year to mark the occasion and pay tribute to the holiday’s origins. Melania and I want to wish everyone celebrating Juneteenth a wonderful time.
It also included an oath of equality for all and a history of the holiday Trump claimed this week to have never heard of.
All People are Born Equal and Liberty is a Right Granted by our Creator
All people are born equal and liberty is a right granted by our Creator, the statement continued, and for millions of African Americans, Juneteenth has been an occasion to celebrate that truth. African Americans have improved every area of American existence. On this Juneteenth, we honour the unyielding fortitude of African Americans and renew our commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of every American.
Both in 2017 and 2018, the White House issued Statements About Juneteenth that were Ascribed to the President.
Melania and I send our best greetings to all those celebrating Juneteenth,” the president said in a statement that year. We, the people of the United States, pledge to keep alive the memory of the millions of African Americans who were victims of slavery.
We celebrate the unyielding fortitude and unfathomable impact of African American people on the history of American greatness by coming together in our common cause.
That all individuals are created equal is a fact our Founding Fathers asserted with unwavering certainty, and it is a reality we reaffirm today and every day.
In a statement released in 2017, Trump said, “Melania and I send our best condolences to all those celebrating Juneteenth, a historic day honouring the end of slavery.”
