Trump weighs declaring Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 as federal holidays

President Trump is planning to issue an executive order establishing two new federal holidays: Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, an administration official tells Axios.Why it matters: It would be an early holiday present for federal workers — a three-day holiday after a rough year. It's not clear if this would be a one-off move or a longer term shift.Presidents in the past have given federal workers Christmas eve as a full- or half-day holiday — typically making the announcement 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: An order has been drafted, but nothing is official until Trump signs, the official said.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 has also signaled that he might reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III drug. He's also talked about sending out tariff rebate checks.Between the lines: It's not clear if the order would simply apply to this year, or be a formal establishment of a federal holiday.Most federal holidays are one day, and have been established by Congress and signed into law by various presidents.It's unclear if a president has the authority to grant multiple days off by executive fiat. But Trump frequently tests the limits of executive authority, which has the de facto force of law if it goes unchallenged in courts or by Congress.And only a Grinch would oppose more Christmas time off for federal workers who survived mass layoffs and furloughs during the record federal government shutdown this year.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 who establishes a federal holiday, and Presidents who sign off on those laws.Trump said in a Truth Social last summer that the U.S. has too many non-working holidays.Editor's note: This story was updated with additional context.