Soldiers place Memorial Day flags at Arlington National Cemetery

November 11 is Veterans Day, and earlier this year, President Donald Trump had floated renaming it to Victory Day for World War I.

Veterans Day was originally created to commemorate the end of World War I, but was later expanded by Congress to honor veterans of all wars. Earlier this year, Trump was highlighting U.S. contributions to both world wars and said he would declare May 8 as Victory Day for World War II and November 11 as Victory Day for World War I.

But his only proclamation this year was for Veterans Day.

"Our Nation remains great because of those who have served honorably in uniform and committed their lives to defending our families, our freedom, and American values," Trump said in a Nov. 10 proclamation. "Under my leadership, our Nation will always uphold the legacy of our veterans by keeping America strong, proud, and free — and as President, I will always have their backs."

What is Trump doing for Veterans Day?

According to the White House public schedule, Trump is headed to Arlington National Cemetery to participate in a Wreath Laying Ceremony, where he will deliver remarks.

The Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 400,000 U.S. service members and their families.

Trump also issues message for Victory Day on Nov. 11

Trump suggested on May 1 that the Nov. 11 holiday could be renamed to "Victory Day for World War I." In the same post, he said he wanted to rename May 8 as "Victory Day for World War II."

But federally recognized holidays must be created by Congress. Veterans Day in some form or another has existed since the first anniversary of the 1918 armistice. It has been celebrated on Nov. 11 and known as it is today, "Veterans Day," since 1971.

Trump still issued a message for November's Victory Day, but did make it an official proclamation to celebrate the day as such, as he did on May 8.

“On this day 107 years ago, the immortal causes of liberty, sovereignty, and human dignity were secured in glory at the conclusion of World War I — one of the most extraordinary displays of U.S. military might in the history of our country," Trump said in his Nov. 11 Victory Day statement. "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."

Trump has said there are too many holidays

Trump has bemoaned how many holidays there are in the U.S.

"We already have too many Holidays in America," he wrote in a May 5 Truth Social post when announcing the holidays for WWI and WWII. "There are not enough days left in the year. We were Workers then, and we are Workers now!"

There are 12 federal holidays in 2025 (two of them were on the same day); most federal holidays have been created by legislation passed through Congress.

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Trump renaming Veterans Day? He previously said it would be 'Victory Day for WWI’

Reporting by Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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