Americans will be able to enter national parks for free on President Donald Trump's birthday, in the latest move by his administration to boost his standing. However, they will lose the current privilege of free entry to national parks on two national days honoring civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. and the end of slavery. The Trump administration says the changes, effective January 1, are part of the president's efforts to put Americans first. The National Parks Service is also working on increasing entrance fees for non-residents. Critics say the changes to what the administration calls the 'Free National Days' list aim to elevate the president and promote him while diminishing the importance of U.S. history on slavery and the struggle for civil rights. In 2025, this list included Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed on the third Monday in January, and Juneteenth on June 19, which marks the day the last enslaved Americans were freed. The Department of the Interior announced in a statement that the eight free days in 2026 will include Trump's birthday on June 14, which also coincides with Flag Day when the American flag was adopted in 1777. Former president of the NAACP Cornell William Brooks called the move an insult to Martin Luther King Jr. In turn, Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto said on the same platform, 'The President didn't just add his birthday to the list, he removed the two days that honor the struggle of Black Americans for civil rights and freedom. Our country deserves better.'
