Prior to Trump’s announcement that he had postponed a scheduled rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma to avoid holding the event on Juneteenth, Stephen Colbert made the joke last week that President Donald Trump probably didn’t know enough about American history to understand why holding the event on that day was offensive.
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Stephen Colbert Celebrates America’s New Holiday, Juneteenth
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Trump corroborated Colbert’s assertion, claiming that one of his black Secret Service agents had explained the significance of the holiday—which commemorates the day the last remaining slaves in the United States learned about the Emancipation Proclamation—to him.
Interview With Trump
In his interview, Trump claimed that he was responsible for popularising Juneteenth. “This moment and event are important. However, nobody had ever heard of it.
Colbert continued to play Trump on Thursday’s broadcast of The Late Show, adding, “In fact, I announced the rally that disturbed everyone on the tenth.”
In honour of the day that everyone learned about Juneteenth, I thus suggest a new holiday that is solely observed by white people and I’m calling it Junetenth. I appreciate your kind sentiments, and I thank you.
Trump attempted to show that he “popularised” Juneteenth in an interview with the Wall Street Journal by asking one of his aides if she had heard of it, as noted by Colbert.
The unnamed White House representative had to inform Trump that his administration had already published a statement honouring Juneteenth for 2019 in addition to being aware of the holiday.
The Respondent then Exclaimed, “Oops, Really?
Should we make a statement to the public? The remarks made by Trump during the interview: “The Trump administration released a statement. This is appropriate. Good.”
Colbert snorted, “Really? And to commemorate the abolition of slavery, we issued a proclamation? That is not who I am, to put it simply. Do you know how I create my ties?
The White House sent a formal presidential message last year to commemorate the anniversary and pay homage to the holiday’s beginnings, apparently written by Trump. Melania and I want to send our best wishes to everyone enjoying Juneteenth. A pledge of equality for all was also included, as was a description of the holiday that Trump claimed this week he had never heard of.
Liberty is a right bestowed by our Creator and is guaranteed to all people from birth.
The proclamation went on to say that everyone is created equal and that the right to liberty is a gift from our Creator. For millions of African Americans, Juneteenth has been a time to commemorate this fact. Every aspect of American life has been enhanced by African Americans. We reaffirm our commitment to defending the constitutional rights of every American on this Juneteenth in honour of the unwavering tenacity of African Americans.
The White House made statements about Juneteenth that were attributed to the President in both 2017 and 2018.
Last Words
In honour of Juneteenth, Melania and I express our warmest greetings to everyone “In a speech that year, the president made a declaration. The citizens of the United States promise to preserve the memory of the countless numbers of African Americans who perished as a result of slavery.
