President Trump delivered the commencement address for the Coast Guard Academy at Cadet Memorial Field in New London, Connecticut, becoming the first president to deliver the keynote address twice.
“It’s a true honor to be here this magnificent day at one of the most prestigious military academies anywhere in the world, and I am thrilled to become the first president to ever give a second keynote address to this storied institution,” Trump said. “We’re going to have to try it a third time, too, to keep that record intact.”
He described the United States as a “dead country” under the last administration, but said that “now we’re the hottest country in the world.”
“Our morale is back, confidence is back. America is back, bigger and better and stronger than ever before,” Trump added. “We went very sadly, of course, for years, Washington, D.C., was run by foolish politicians.”
During his speech, President Trump also highlighted a group of cadets and shook their hands. Class President Savannah Riera was invited on stage and presented President Trump with a football helmet as a class gift.
“Mr. President, on behalf of the Class of 2026, I present you with this token of appreciation,” she said, handing President Trump the helmet with “47.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin also spoke at the event, honoring the Coast Guard’s role in protecting the seas. “You are the 1 percent that will stand up and defend our freedoms and Constitution. You defend our homeland and our nation,” he said in his speech. “Our commander-in-chief loves you for that.”
Last year, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy encouraged graduating midshipmen to put their faith in God during a commencement speech at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.
“There are two kinds of people, those who believe in God and those who think they’re God,” Duffy said. “There’s something beautiful, humbling, and properly ordered about a man and woman who understand that there is a power greater than themselves. That everything is not in their control. And that they are the beloved child of a merciful God who hears their prayers.”
