Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, DOD NEWS—Amid DEI attacks, Trump DOD skips messaging commemorating Juneteenth, (Jun 20, 2025)

By Patricia K. Ruiz, J.D.

Defense Secretary Hegseth previously banned the DOD from using official resources to celebrate heritage months.

The Pentagon’s Office of the Chief of Public Affairs requested “a passive approach to Juneteenth messaging,” according to an email obtained by Rolling Stone. The email stated that the office was not planning to publish Juneteenth-related content online. The mandate follows the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government.

Passive approach to Juneteenth messaging. A Pentagon official told Rolling Stone that the Department of Defense may, subject to applicable department guidance, engage in holiday celebrations “where doing so directly supports DoD’s mission” and “recognition of historical events and notable figures where such recognition informs strategic thinking, reinforces our unity, and promotes meritocracy and accountability.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who previously banned the Department from using official resources to celebrate heritage months, such as Black History Month, said on X that “DEI & social/gender theories directly undermine meritocracy and standards. Which, in the military, makes us less ready—and gets troops killed.” Hegseth has banned the Department of Defense from using official resources to celebrate heritage months, and he has ordered the Pentagon to remove all “news and feature articles, photos, and videos that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Trump’s June 19 post. On June 19, 2025, President Trump himself posted on Truth Social, stating, “Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed. 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!”

Juneteenth observance. On June 18, 2024, President Biden proclaimed June 19, 2024, as Juneteenth Day of Observance, recognizing “that Juneteenth not only marks the end of America’s original sin of slavery but also the beginning of the work at the heart and soul of our Nation: making the promise of America real for every American.” Biden continued, “On Juneteenth, may we celebrate the essence of freedom that galvanized the country, the progress we have made in our Nation, and all that is possible when we march forward together. May we all recommit to redeeming the very soul of America—choosing love over hate, unity over division, and progress over retreat.”

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