Why Donald Trump refused to acknowledge World AIDS Day for the first time in nearly 40 years

President Trump faced intense criticism after his administration confirmed he would not recognize World AIDS Day this year. The annual day, held on 1 December, honors the millions who died during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and in the decades since.

HIV spread widely in the West in the early 80s, leading to an ongoing global health crisis. UNAIDS reports that over 44 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the pandemic began.

Since 1988, every U.S. president has issued a World AIDS Day proclamation, and last year Joe Biden held a public ceremony featuring the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the White House lawn.

This year, however, after returning to office in January, Trump refused to issue any statement and ended federal funding for World AIDS Day activities. A government spokesperson told the New York Times that commemorative messages do not qualify as strategy, adding that the administration would avoid marking awareness days altogether.

State Department official Tommy Pignott defended the policy, saying the U.S. is “modernizing” its infectious disease response and working directly with other nations under Trump’s direction. At the same time, the administration has cut global HIV and AIDS funding, mirroring reductions in other countries like the UK.

UNAIDS warns these cuts could lead to 3.3 million additional HIV infections by 2030. As World AIDS Day passed without acknowledgment, activists expressed anger, calling the move dismissive and harmful.

Madonna also criticized Trump, arguing that ignoring the day dishonors those who suffered and died during the pandemic.