Trump Issues M.L.K. Day Proclamation After Criticism
Source: New York Times
Trump Issues M.L.K. Day Proclamation After Criticism
Civil rights groups had criticized President Trump for failing to issue a proclamation honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and not attending commemorative events.
President Trump at the College Football Championship in Miami on Monday. Allison Robbert for The New York Times
By Francesca Regalado
Jan. 19, 2026, 11:20 p.m. ET
President Trump proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday evening, after he was criticized by civil rights activists for breaking from tradition by failing to recognize Dr. King’s legacy or attending commemorations of the holiday.
In the past, presidents issued statements about Dr. King even before the federal holiday. Toward the end of Mr. Trump’s first term in 2021, when M.L.K. Day fell on Jan. 18, his proclamation was issued on Jan. 15, Dr. King’s birthday. Last year, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on Jan. 17, days before the holiday.
{snip}
Presidents usually attend parades and commemorative services held in his honor. The federal holiday was created in 1983 by legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan, 15 years after Dr. King was assassinated. President Bill Clinton signed legislation in 1994 designating it as a day of service to encourage Americans to volunteer in their communities.
Mr. Trump did not attend M.L.K. Day events on Monday, spending the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. In the proclamation, Mr. Trump said he had honored Dr. King last year by declassifying documents related to his assassination. Several noted historians said at the time, however, that there was little of note in these documents and most of Dr. King’s family had opposed their release.
{snip}
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
https://www.nytimes.com/by/francesca-regalado
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/us/politics/trump-mlk-day-proclamation.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
