Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office sent an email to staff requesting a “passive approach” to celebrating Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, according to Rolling Stone.
The message was relayed by the Pentagon’s Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, Rolling Stone reports. The message added that the office wasn’t planning to publish Juneteenth-related content on the Pentagon’s website, according to the outlet.
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, has long been commemorated but didn’t become a federal holiday until 2021 under President Joe Biden.
A Pentagon official told Rolling Stone that the Defense Department “may engage in…holiday celebrations that build camaraderie and esprit de corps…and recognition of historical events and notable figures where such recognition informs strategic thinking, reinforces our unity, and promotes meritocracy and accountability.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted Thursday she’s “not tracking the president’s signature on any proclamation” related to Juneteenth.
Trump separately shared a Truth Social post Thursday claiming there are “too many non-working holidays.”
“It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed,” Trump wrote. “The workers don’t want it either! Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year. It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The Defense Department declined to comment when contacted by The Independent.
Shortly after he was confirmed, Hegseth declared that there would be “no more” diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the Pentagon. This followed President Donald Trump’s executive order ending DEI programs across government.
The Pentagon went on to cancel a slew of historical and cultural annual events, including observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance, National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Women’s History Month.
The Defense Department also marked thousands of files for deletion in a purge of so-called DEI content, the Associated Press reported in March. This included documents and photos referencing a World War II Medal of Honor recipient, the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan, and the first women to pass Marine infantry training.
Hegseth has even targeted so-called “DEI programs” that Trump and his allies helped create.
In late April, Hegseth announced he “proudly ENDED” the Pentagon’s Women, Peace & Security program. Trump signed the Women, Peace & Security Act into law during his first term. The law vowed to ensure the U.S. “promotes the meaningful participation of women in mediation and negotiation processes seeking to prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, then a Florida senator, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, then a South Dakota congresswoman, also cosponsored the legislation.
