WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation designating Thursday as a day for the United States to celebrate victory in World War II as countries in Europe already do.
Cities from London to Moscow are holding parades, flyovers and memorials this week as the world observes Thursday’s 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, when Nazi Germany surrendered to Allied forces including the U.S.
“As we commemorate Victory Day for World War II, we offer our unending thanks to every patriot from the Greatest Generation who left behind his home and family to fight for our freedom in distant lands,” Trump says in the proclamation, signed Wednesday. “We honor the memories of all those who perished. Above all, we renew our commitment to keeping America and the entire world safe, secure, prosperous, and free.”
World War II ended on May 8, 1945.
World War I ended on Nov. 11, 1918. Trump is expected this year to designate a day for U.S. celebrations of the end of the first world war. Neither day is a federal holiday.
Trump, a Republican, complained in recent social media posts that the U.S. doesn’t spend enough time celebrating its military victories like the rest of the world does. He said he was renaming May 8 as Victory Day for World War II and Nov. 11 as Victory Day for World War I.
“Many of our allies and friends are celebrating May 8th as Victory Day, but we did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result on World War II. I am hereby renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War I,” he said last week on his social media site. “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!”
Nov. 11 is the Veterans Day federal holiday in the United States, and only Congress has the authority to create or rename holidays.
Trump backtracked this week, saying he’d declare national holidays instead.
“We won two World Wars, but we never took credit for it — Everyone else does! All over the World, the Allies are celebrating the Victory we had in World War II. The only Country that doesn’t celebrate is the United States of America, and the Victory was only accomplished because of us,” he wrote on Monday. “Without the United States, the War would have been won by other Countries, and what a different World it would be. Therefore, I am hereby declaring a National Holiday in celebration of the Victories of World War I, where the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and World War II, where the Victory date was May 8, 1945.”
The proclamation Trump signed designates May 8, 2025, as a “day in celebration of Victory Day for World War II.”