Trump Proposes Renaming May 8 and November 11 as “Victory Day” to Celebrate U.S. War Triumphs

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced his intent to rename May 8 and November 11 as “Victory Day” in honor of American triumphs in World War II and World War I, respectively.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump wrote, “I am hereby renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War I.”

May 8 is widely recognized in Europe as Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), commemorating Nazi Germany’s surrender in 1945. In contrast, November 11—originally known as Armistice Day—marks the end of World War I in 1918 and is currently observed in the U.S. as Veterans Day to honor military veterans.

“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,” Trump stated. “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!”

Trump emphasized his desire to reframe U.S. history to more visibly honor American victories, criticizing what he sees as a lack of national celebration. He has previously expressed interest in renaming national holidays and landmarks, including attempts to revert “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” back to “Columbus Day” and to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”

While no official executive order has been signed to effect the changes, the announcement has sparked debate about historical recognition and presidential powers in declaring national holidays.

Victory Day is formally celebrated in many countries across Europe and the former Soviet Union. Russia, which bore the brunt of casualties in World War II with over 20 million deaths, traditionally observes the holiday on May 9.

Trump’s declaration has not been accompanied by a formal statement from the White House or Congress, and it remains unclear whether any legislative or executive action will follow.