Biden Defends Juneteenth Holiday, Takes Subtle Swipe at Trump During Texas Church Service
Former President Joe Biden made a rare public appearance Thursday at a Juneteenth service on Galveston Island, where he defended the holiday’s federal recognition and delivered a series of pointed remarks, some of which appeared to indirectly reference President Donald Trump.
Speaking from the pulpit of an African Methodist Episcopal church, Biden emphasized the importance of remembering the nation’s history of slavery and emancipation. “So, the events of Juneteenth are of monumental importance to the American story,” he said, calling slavery “America’s original sin.”
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As reported by Fox News, Biden pushed back against critics of the holiday, stating, “They don’t want to remember – but we all remember the moral stain.” He also spoke of efforts to “erase our history from our textbooks and our classrooms.”
At one point, Biden seemed to stop himself short of directly naming President Trump. “Not just here, but, this guy—” he said before trailing off, making the Sign of the Cross, and receiving applause from the congregation.
Biden also recalled his time as chairman of the African Affairs subcommittee and claimed personal familiarity with racial struggles. “I’ve been to the origins of where slavery started [in Africa],” he said. He added that he often visited Black neighborhoods in Wilmington, Delaware, after attending early Catholic Mass in Greenville.
During his remarks, Biden hinted that military bases could be renamed to honor Confederate leaders under Trump’s leadership. However, Fox News noted that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently clarified that returning bases to former names would not honor Confederate generals, “but other U.S. military heroes with the same surname.”
Biden also repeated claims about voter access, saying, “Stop those who try to make it more difficult to vote, and help people register to vote.”
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President Trump, however, responded critically to the holiday. “Billions of dollars to keep all of these businesses closed,” he said. “Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every working day of the year.”
While some states like West Virginia marked Juneteenth with proclamations, many kept government offices open, showing a divide in how the newest federal holiday is being observed.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
