President Donald Trump declared celebrations for “Victory Day” during his Veterans Day address at Arlington National Cemetery.
“Victory Day. You know, I was at an event, I saw France celebrate Victory Day. But we didn’t! I saw France celebrate WWII,” he said. “And other countries. We’re the one that won the wars!”
“I said, from now, we’re gonna say Victory Day for WWI and WWII. And we could do it for plenty of other wars! We’ll start with those 2,” Trump explained. “I see other countries celebrating Victory Day. I watched it. UK, Russia…WWII. I said, We gotta have a Victory Day! From now on, we’re gonna be celebrating Victory Day for WWI, WWII, and frankly, for everything else!”
In May, President Trump declared intentions to rename Veterans Day to “Victory Day for World War I.”
“I am hereby renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War I,” he wrote on Truth Social at the time. “We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything — That’s because we don’t have leaders anymore, that know how to do so! We are going to start celebrating our victories again!”
The White House shared a message celebrating “Victory Day for World War I. “Today, we remember the sacrifice of every hero of freedom who shed his blood for the survival of our civilization, and we renew our pledge to always defend the needs, values, and interests of the American people first,” the statement reads.
“More than one century following the end of World War I, we honor the valiant American Service members whose victory sent a resounding message to the entire world: No tyranny can topple the strength of the American military, no nation can compete with the power of American industry, and no adversary can withstand the unwavering vigor of the American spirit,” it declares, encouraging Americans to “look to [veterans’] grit, valor, and patriotism—and in their honor, we vow to never stop fighting for the sacred causes that sustain our Republic, our way of life, and our birthright of freedom.”
