Trump declares National Day of Patriotic Devotion...but you already missed it
President Donald Trump has unveiled the date for his national day of patriotism ... but it has already passed.
According to a document published by the office of the Federal Register, the 45th president of the United States proclaimed Jan. 20, 2017 — Trump's Inauguration Day — to be a National Day of Patriotic Devotion. Trump made the proclamation "in order to strengthen our bonds to each other and to our country — and to renew the duties of Government to the people."
"A new national pride stirs the American soul and inspires the American heart. We are one people, united by a common destiny and a shared purpose," the proclamation said.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer first revealed the move last week in one of his first tweets from the official press secretary account.
Often, presidential proclamations of days of observance are made in advance so that people can make plans for how they want to recognize the day, whether it's through service or a moment of silence. Trump's instead designated a day that has already passed.
Presidents can declare a one-time holiday through executive order, but Congress holds the power to create annual federal holidays. In 2004, for example, President George W. Bush issued an executive order for a national day of mourning following Ronald Reagan's death, shutting down the federal government for a day.
Trump's National Day of Patriotic Devotion shouldn't be confused with previous presidential proclamations with similar names.
In 2002, Bush proclaimed September 11 as Patriot Day. He first declared the day in 2001 as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001.
In 2014, President Barack Obama also proclaimed it as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Bush and Obama's presidential proclamations made September 11 a national observance, but not a federal holiday.
There are also similarly named state holidays, which were declared in honor of different historical events. In Maine, Patriot's Day falls on the third Monday in April. In Massachusetts, Patriots' Day is observed on April 19.
Read the document published by the Federal Register below: