Trump: Too Many Non-Working Holidays in America, Costing Billions
Trump used a Juneteenth Truth Social post to argue the US has too many non-working holidays, claiming closures cost billions. Here is the market angle and the tickers most exposed to any calendar change.
President Donald Trump used Juneteenth to argue the United States has too many non-working holidays, framing federal closures as a drag on the economy. The comments landed on a day when banks, government offices, and US stock exchanges were shut.
What Trump said
Trump did not name any specific holidays he found unnecessary, but he made the comment as businesses, schools and government agencies across the country observed Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that “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!”
The context
In the United States, there are 11 federal holidays where non-essential government offices are closed and federal employees are paid for the day. Juneteenth has been a federal holiday since 2021. Federal and state government offices are generally closed as a result, along with banks and stock exchanges, but private businesses aren’t required to close.
Trump can’t change the number of holidays without an act of Congress, but his threat to do so fired up his critics. For markets, that means no immediate change to the NYSE or Nasdaq calendar.
Do you want to see how to make more plays? Do you want to find gains yourself?
Unusual Whales helps you find market opportunities through our market tide, historical options flow, GEX, and much, much more.
Create a free account here to start conquering the market with Unusual Whales.
Why traders care
Market holidays matter because closed exchanges mean thinner liquidity around the surrounding sessions and gap risk on the reopen. A shorter holiday calendar would, in theory, mean more trading days and more volume for exchanges and market-makers.
Many businesses remain open and many people work during U.S. holidays. About six in 10 large employers don’t observe Juneteenth, according to USA Today. So the real-economy impact of any holiday change is uneven across sectors.
Options market and stocks to watch
Watch for reactions in exchange operators and financials that are directly tied to trading day counts:
- ICE: parent of the NYSE. Watch for any commentary tied to trading calendar changes.
- NDAQ: Nasdaq operator. More trading days would mean more transaction revenue at the margin.
- CME: futures volumes are sensitive to the cash-session calendar.
- JPM and BAC: big banks close on federal holidays. Watch for any messaging on operating days.
For more political and macro headlines that move tape, check Unusual Whales news.
Want more market intelligence? Create your free Unusual Whales account for options flow, market tide, GEX, and the full toolkit.