Biden attends a historic African American church in Texas during Juneteenth and leaves a “message” for Trump
Biden highlighted the contribution of African Americans to the country’s history, called for unity despite differences
Former President Joe Biden criticized the "constant efforts to erase history" during a Juneteenth service at a historic church in Galveston, Texas, where he appeared to leave a message dedicated to Donald Trump.
The former president participated in the service at Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, one of the sites where the order announcing the end of slavery in Texas was read on June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, according to the church. Biden called Galveston “the city where freedom rang 160 years ago.” Wearing a blue suit and striped tie, the 82-year-old veteran politician appeared smiling as the congregation gathered for the service watched and applauded from a privileged spot next to the altar. In 2021, Biden signed Juneteenth into law as a federal holiday in memory of the June 19, 1865, day when enslaved people in Texas celebrated their freedom after the Civil War. During his term (2021-2025), he presided over a concert at the White House and gave speeches to mark the holiday.
In brief remarks near the end of the service, the former president highlighted the significance of the date as a “day of celebration” in which the U.S. was freed from the “moral stain of slavery” and said he was “very proud” to have been the one to make it a national holiday.
Biden spoke about his beginnings in politics and recounted his role in making Juneteenth a federal holiday, saying that “the events of Juneteenth are of monumental importance to American history.”
“Even today, some tell me and you that this does not deserve to be a federal holiday. They do not want to remember… the moral stain of slavery,” he said.
Biden also criticized what he called “continued efforts to erase history from our textbooks and our classrooms.”
In At least two times, Biden appeared to refer to Trump,Though not by name. When discussing attempts to erase history, he mentioned “this guy” before crossing himself, prompting laughter from the audience.
At another point, Biden highlighted efforts during his administration to rename military bases named after Confederate military officers, a process mandated by Congress.
“What are we doing now? Restoring those names,” Biden said, referring to the Trump administration’s effort to restore military bases’ former names.