December 9, 2025 • 4 mins
President Trump adds his birthday as a free National Park day and axes MLK Day and Juneteenth. Fox News Radio's Tonya J. Powers joins us with the details.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is West Michigan's morning news Steek Kelly and Brett Bkita.
More as we get to traffic and weather together. The
Trump administration reshaping when Americans can enter national parks for
free is causing a little controversy. Let's get to Tanya
Jay Powers, Fox News Radio in New York City this morning.
Hey Tanya, thanks for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Sure, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
So there are some days that folks were used to
getting for free, and there's one which includes the President's birthday.
So what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, the National Park Service free entrant days next year
are going to change a little bit. There had been
there had been free fee days on Martin Luther King
Junior's birthday as well as Juneteenth. Those were on the
free entrance day's list. And as of next year, instead
(00:50):
of those two days, those won't be free anymore. Instead,
it will be June fourteenth, which is both Flag Day
and President Trump's birthday.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
AHU, and I can I guess I see that's ruffling
a few feathers.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Well, it is. The change has definitely gotten some attention,
for sure. I mean, the Trump administration has not been
shy about their changes that rezarding anything remotely you know,
to do with DEI. So this is you know, not
super surprising. I guess it may have you know, taken
some people off guard. That's the National Park Service. You know,
(01:24):
free day calendar is not usually top of mind for
a lot of folks unless you're visiting, you know, parks
that have an entrance fee. Uh that you know that
you have to pay. The ten ten free entrance days
are going to be held at all national parks next year.
That's that's up from six this year. By the way,
(01:44):
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Weekend, Veterans Day, that's you know,
kind of normal. Like I said, Juneteenth, uh, and Martin
Luther King Junior's firth day will not be on it
also being honored next year. Are and not all of
them are federal holidays like these are not. A National
Park Services one hundred and tenth birthday that's on August
twenty fifth, that day will be free, Constitution Day on
(02:06):
September the seventeenth, and Teddy Roosevelt's birthday on October twenty seventh,
those will also be free next year.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Why Teddy Roosevelt's birthday any idea? That's I didn't see
that one as part of the story.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I don't know. Maybe because of his conservancy efforts, you know,
conservationists sort of does it, you know, I don't know that.
That's the only thing I can think of. He's considered
by a lot of people to be, you know, the
conservationist president made some made contributions to the National Park
System that were, you know, pretty big that during his presidency,
(02:42):
apparently the number of sites for National Parks like doubled.
So that's I guess that's one of the reasons they're
they're using that one for a free day next year
as well. So yeah, that's those are the ones that
are are going to be free. If you take a
look at the National Park's web service website service service website. Sorry,
(03:02):
I'm sorry, I'm still fighting having not much of a voice,
so bear with me. What they you know, they outline
the fees and the passes. If you're an American citizen,
you can get a National Parks pass, an annual pass
for about eighty dollars. That's what US residents, not citizens,
(03:25):
I'm sorry I should said residence, but that you get
that first eighty dollars, and if you're non residents, you
get two hundred and fifty dollars is what you'll pay
for an annual pass to get into national parks. Most
national parks are free to enter. Some do have an
entrance pass, like Akkadian National Park. That one has a
(03:47):
pass whether you go buy vehicle or per person. There's
there's two ways that they charge for that, but that's
just one of the ones that they're listed on their
website with a fee. Most of them are free to
get into.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
That is time to Jay Powers with Fox News Radio
in New York City. Hope the voice comes back soon.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Thanks
This is West Michigan's morning news Steek Kelly and Brett Bkita.
More as we get to traffic and weather together. The
Trump administration reshaping when Americans can enter national parks for
free is causing a little controversy. Let's get to Tanya
Jay Powers, Fox News Radio in New York City this morning.
Hey Tanya, thanks for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Sure, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
So there are some days that folks were used to
getting for free, and there's one which includes the President's birthday.
So what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, the National Park Service free entrant days next year
are going to change a little bit. There had been
there had been free fee days on Martin Luther King
Junior's birthday as well as Juneteenth. Those were on the
free entrance day's list. And as of next year, instead
(00:50):
of those two days, those won't be free anymore. Instead,
it will be June fourteenth, which is both Flag Day
and President Trump's birthday.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
AHU, and I can I guess I see that's ruffling
a few feathers.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Well, it is. The change has definitely gotten some attention,
for sure. I mean, the Trump administration has not been
shy about their changes that rezarding anything remotely you know,
to do with DEI. So this is you know, not
super surprising. I guess it may have you know, taken
some people off guard. That's the National Park Service. You know,
(01:24):
free day calendar is not usually top of mind for
a lot of folks unless you're visiting, you know, parks
that have an entrance fee. Uh that you know that
you have to pay. The ten ten free entrance days
are going to be held at all national parks next year.
That's that's up from six this year. By the way,
(01:44):
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Weekend, Veterans Day, that's you know,
kind of normal. Like I said, Juneteenth, uh, and Martin
Luther King Junior's firth day will not be on it
also being honored next year. Are and not all of
them are federal holidays like these are not. A National
Park Services one hundred and tenth birthday that's on August
twenty fifth, that day will be free, Constitution Day on
(02:06):
September the seventeenth, and Teddy Roosevelt's birthday on October twenty seventh,
those will also be free next year.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Why Teddy Roosevelt's birthday any idea? That's I didn't see
that one as part of the story.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I don't know. Maybe because of his conservancy efforts, you know,
conservationists sort of does it, you know, I don't know that.
That's the only thing I can think of. He's considered
by a lot of people to be, you know, the
conservationist president made some made contributions to the National Park
System that were, you know, pretty big that during his presidency,
(02:42):
apparently the number of sites for National Parks like doubled.
So that's I guess that's one of the reasons they're
they're using that one for a free day next year
as well. So yeah, that's those are the ones that
are are going to be free. If you take a
look at the National Park's web service website service service website. Sorry,
(03:02):
I'm sorry, I'm still fighting having not much of a voice,
so bear with me. What they you know, they outline
the fees and the passes. If you're an American citizen,
you can get a National Parks pass, an annual pass
for about eighty dollars. That's what US residents, not citizens,
(03:25):
I'm sorry I should said residence, but that you get
that first eighty dollars, and if you're non residents, you
get two hundred and fifty dollars is what you'll pay
for an annual pass to get into national parks. Most
national parks are free to enter. Some do have an
entrance pass, like Akkadian National Park. That one has a
(03:47):
pass whether you go buy vehicle or per person. There's
there's two ways that they charge for that, but that's
just one of the ones that they're listed on their
website with a fee. Most of them are free to
get into.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
That is time to Jay Powers with Fox News Radio
in New York City. Hope the voice comes back soon.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Thanks
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