Presidential Actions

GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY: A NATIONAL DAY OF CELEBRATION

OF GREEK AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, 2026

Proclamations

March 24, 2026

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

This Greek Independence Day, we commemorate the wisdom and resolve of the Greek people, who cast off the chains of despotism, renewed the promise of freedom first born on their ancient soil, and reasserted their rightful place as the cradle of Western civilization.

Long before our Nation took up the torch of liberty 250 years ago, the miracle of self-government first dawned in Greece, where citizens were granted a direct voice in the destiny of their country.  This spirit sustained the Greek people through centuries of occupation and hardship at the hands of foreign rulers.  With rugged bravery, pride in their past, and confidence in their future, they launched a revolution on March 25, 1821, embarking on a noble crusade that shattered the chains of authoritarian rule that had bound them for centuries.  For almost a decade, their freedom was successfully forged in the fiery heat of conflict and sacrifice, sustained by their faith in the timeless truth that every nation is endowed with the right to self-determination.

Like Greece, the United States was born in the tradition of republican self-rule and is sustained by citizens who believe that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are our sacred birthright.  The histories of our two nations testify that an oppressed people will endure any trial to establish a truly just government, defend their inheritance at all costs, and secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their children.

Today, the Greek American community enriches the story of our Nation through their enterprise, faith in God, and unyielding passion for the principles that have defined the American way of life since 1776.  Greece stands shoulder to shoulder with the United States in our values, our commitment to the defense of our Western ideals, and our devotion to the cause of peace throughout the world.

As America marks 250 glorious years of independence, we draw inspiration from the example of the Greek people who refused to surrender their sovereignty and preserved the flame of self-government.  Together, our two nations are allies in freedom, united by history, tested by struggle, and confident in the promise of a radiant future.  On this 205th Greek Independence Day, we celebrate that enduring spirit, which first stirred in Athens and inspired our Founding Fathers in Philadelphia, whose genius and devotion to the cause of human freedom will never cease to inspire people on both sides of the Atlantic.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 25, 2026, as Greek Independence Day:  A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy.  I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.

DONALD J. TRUMP