President Trump issued an executive order establishing two new federal holidays this year: Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas.
Why it matters: It's an early holiday present for federal workers — a three-day holiday after a rough year.
- In the past, presidents have given federal workers Christmas Eve as a full- or half-day holiday — typically announcing the decision in late December.
- It is somewhat unusual for a president to give both the 24th and 26th off.
Flashback: In 2019 and 2020, Trump gave federal workers the day off on Christmas Eve.
Zoom in: Christmas falls on a Thursday this year — the last time that happened, then-President Obama gave federal workers Friday off.
The big picture: The executive order would be the latest in a series of crowd-pleaser policy announcements from the president, who is struggling to counter Americans' growing displeasure with the economy.
- Trump said Thursday he will sign an executive order to begin the process to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug, and announced Wednesday night in a televised speech that all U.S. military members are receiving $1,776 bonus checks.
- He's also talked about sending out tariff rebate checks.
Zoom out: Federal holidays set a baseline expectation for days off in the private-sector workforce.
- Most recently, former President Biden signed a law establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, and more private employers have given workers that day as a paid holiday.
- Presidents have designated one-time holidays in the past, but typically it's Congress that establishes a federal holiday, and presidents who sign off on those laws.
- Trump said in a Truth Social post last summer that the U.S. has too many non-working holidays.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional context.
