Monday, February 16, 2026, is a federal holiday in the United States honoring George Washington's birthday. Government offices, banks, and some businesses will be closed in observance of the holiday which is annually celebrated on the third Monday in February. Because the date typically falls between the actual calendar date birthdays of presidents Washington and Lincoln, it is commonly called "Presidents Day," although the official designation is "Washington's Birthday."
"The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop." -- George Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796.
Poor George, both revered and kicked around by us. He was born February 11th but when he was 20 Britain and her colonies finally caught up with Catholic Europe by switching to the Gregorian Calendar, moving his birthday to the 22nd of the month. Then, starting in 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved the official celebration of his birth to the third Monday in February. In popular parlance we slight our first President by neglecting the legal name of the holiday, WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY and refer to it as a generic "Presidents’ Day."
We likewise neglect Washington's sage warning against entangling foreign alliances. Even in our commercial relations our leaders, not content merely to trade with the rest of the world, have entered into binding agreements restricting our ability to control our own commerce, to encourage domestic manufacturing, or even to protect our citizens from unsafe products.
On November 5, 2024, the American people finally said, "Enough," and elected a President who promised to put the interest of the American people first. President Donald J. Trump has begun fulfilling that promise. Below are some Presidential actions putting America first, with citations of publication in the Federal Register and excerpts from the actions.
Executive Order 14199 of February 4, 2025, Withdrawing the United States From and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations (90 FR 9275, February 10, 2025).
"Three UN organizations that deserve renewed scrutiny are the UNHRC; the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)."
Executive Order 14162 of January 20, 2025, Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements (90 FR 8455, January 30, 2025).
"In recent years, the United States has purported to join international agreements and initiatives that do not reflect our country’s values or our contributions to the pursuit of economic and environmental objectives. Moreover, these agreements steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people."
"The United States Ambassador to the United Nations shall immediately submit formal written notification of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The notice shall be submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Depositary of the Agreement, attached as Appendix A. The United States will consider its withdrawal from the Agreement and any attendant obligations to be effective immediately upon this provision of notification."
Executive Order 14169 of January 20, 2025, Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid (90 FR 8619, January 30, 2025).
"The United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values. They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries."
Executive Order 14150 of January 20, 2025, America First Policy Directive to the Secretary of State (90 FR 8337, January 29, 2025).
"From this day forward, the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests and always put America and American citizens first."
Executive Order 14155 of January 20, 2025, Withdrawing the United States From the World Health Organization (90 FR 8361, January 29, 2025).
"The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID–19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states. In addition, the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO."
PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT.
