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By Jasmine Laws
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After the Trump administration removed Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day and Juneteenth from the 2026 National Parks fee-free days, there has been notable backlash from the public, lawmakers and organizations.
Newsweek has contacted the National Park Service (NPS), the Department of the Interior (DOI), the National Parks Conversation Association and The King Center outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
In its announcement of plans to modernize park access and prioritize affordability for Americans, the DOI shared the list of the National Parks fee-free days, or as it called them, "resident-only patriotic fee-free days."
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In place of MLK Day, a federal holiday paying tribute to the civil rights leader's equality and justice legacy, and Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., the department's list of fee-free days in 2026 instead included more former presidents' birthdays, as well as Flag Day—which is President Donald Trump's birthday.
The removal of MLK Day—which has been a fee-free day since 2018—and Juneteenth—brought in as a fee-free day in 2024—follows the Trump administration's pause earlier this year of these days of remembrance and others as part of a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
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What To Know
The decision to exclude MLK Day and Juneteenth removes two of the nation's most prominent civil rights holidays as National Parks fee-free days, while the department focuses on what it calls its "America-first" policies, which not only included the change in fee-free days, but also changes to National Park entrance costs for foreign visitors and new digital passes, which have Trump on them, according to the news outlet People.
Responding to the removal of these federal holidays, Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, said this was concerning.
While presidential administrations have made alterations to the fee-free days in the past, the particular removal of MLK Day is worrying, she said, noting that the day has become a popular day of service for community groups that use the free day to perform volunteer projects at parks.
"Not only does it recognize an American hero, it’s also a day when people go into parks to clean them up," Brengel said. "Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition…For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldn’t be."
Some lawmakers have also reacted to the move, with Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada writing in a post on the social media platform X: "The President didn’t just add his own birthday to the list, he removed both of these holidays that mark Black Americans’ struggle for civil rights and freedom. Our country deserves better."
Democratic Representative for New York Gregory Meeks also wrote in a post on X: "Making Trump’s birthday a free-entry day at national parks while eliminating MLK Day and Juneteenth is foul. Our parks should reflect our shared history, NOT cater to Trump’s ego. Families are struggling to get by—that’s where his focus should be."
Members of the public have also taken to X to say how "racist" the decision is, with others even deeming it "narcissistic and corrupt."
A former under secretary of state for the Barack Obama administration, Richard Stengel, also wrote in a post on X that the only other country that has their current leader's birthday as a national holiday is North Korea.
In the DOI release on the updates, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a statement: "President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first. These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations."
What People Are Saying
Emily Blanck, a professor of history at Rowan University, told Newsweek: "I’m not surprised that the administration decided to exclude these two national holidays. There’s a long-standing perception that MLK Day and Juneteenth are “for” Black Americans, and the Trump administration has consistently worked to eliminate recognition of Black Americans and their contributions under the banner of opposing “DEI.” This decision aligns with a broader reversal toward defining “American” as synonymous with white Americans.
"Removing MLK Day and Juneteenth sends a clear message: that expanding freedom, through the end of slavery or the dismantling of segregation, is not a story the administration wants to honor. But both holidays have always been intended as celebrations for all Americans. When a government chooses not to honor the nation’s freedom holidays, it signals that the struggle for freedom itself is no longer a shared national value.
"National Parks tell the story of America’s geographic richness; MLK Day and Juneteenth tell the story of America’s diverse people and the ongoing expansion of its democracy. Excluding these civic holidays, while keeping less significant civic days like Flag Day or Constitution Day, suggests that the country does not value the histories and communities these freedom holidays represent."
Brenna Wynn Greer, a professor of history at Wellesley College, told Newsweek: "Excluding these two holidays with significant meaning to African Americans as days when people can enter the national parks for free sends a message to African Americans and other people of color that the national parks are not for them, and makes these parks less accessible to them. Use of the term 'patriotic' to label these fee-free days, along with the description of these as days that 'put American families first' and a reflection of '[the president’s] commitment to making national parks more accessible [and] more affordable for the American people' communicate a conception of America and Americans that is alarming given its utility to discriminatory agendas."
She added: "This action is in keeping with the current administration's none-too-subtle ongoing, strategic, and racist campaign to demote African Americans and their history within American culture. People may think that park fees are an insignificant matter or find this move merely petty; however, history dictates that actions such as this are key when the objective is to disenfranchise a particular group."
Edda Fields-Black, a professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University and winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in History, told Newsweek: "African-Americans are proud, not of what our ancestors went through during these painful chapters in our Nation's history, but of how we got over, how we survived and ultimately thrived as a people despite the immense hardships and adversities that have been (and continue to be) put upon us. The Trump administration's actions send the message that it is ok to exclude Americans and parts of American history that make some Americans uncomfortable. That's shameful."
She added: "Recognizing MLK Day and Juneteenth as free-fee days at National Parks encourages everyone, particularly groups who might not otherwise visit or feel welcome at the National Parks, to enjoy our country's natural and cultural heritage regardless of ability to pay park entrance fees. It is important that African-Americans, all Americans, feel welcome at our National parks."
Leslie Wilson, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State University, told Newsweek: "Juneteenth and MLK Day were vetted as national holidays. They were passed by Congress and signed by presidents into law. Therefore there is no legal difference between these holidays and others on the national calendar. But let's look further contrasting Memorial Day and Juneteenth. These are two holidays integrally connected to the Civil War and the promise of the American future. Similarly on MLK Day, we not only honor a national figure, but the promise and potential of the American future. Indeed, most of our holidays look backward honoring great men (not women) and their accomplishments while looking into the distant future of America's greatness. As a result, it is unfortunate that based on their thematic compositions that all national holidays are not given the same level of respect."
What Happens Next
The first of the fee-free National Park days for 2026 will be Presidents' Day, which commemorates the birthdays of former Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, on February 16, skipping MLK Day on January 20.
This article contains reporting from the Associated Press.
Update 12/8/25, 9:34 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Blanck.
Update 12/8/25, 10:10 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Greer.
Update 12/8/25, 12:10 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Wilson and Fields-Black.
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