President Trump Delivers Remarks at the University of Alabama Commencement

On May 1, 2025, President Donald J. Trump delivered a commencement address at the University of Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum, marking his first such speech in his second term and breaking the university’s 18-year tradition of not having a main commencement speaker. The event, optional and ticketed for graduates, was introduced by former Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban and UA President Stuart R. Bell, with a lively crowd sporting MAGA hats and “Roll Trump Roll” stickers.
Trump’s speech blended motivational advice with political commentary. He urged the class of 2025 to “think big,” “work hard,” “never give up,” and “smash through limits,” emphasizing that they were not too young to achieve greatness. He framed them as the “first graduating class of the golden age of America.” However, he frequently veered into campaign-style rhetoric, criticizing the Biden administration, claiming the 2020 election was “rigged,” and attacking policies on immigration, transgender athletes, and federal funding for universities like Harvard. He touted his second-term agenda, including tariffs and immigration crackdowns, while alleging a decline in illegal border crossings, though he expressed frustration with judicial blocks, notably a Trump-appointed judge’s ruling against his use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations.
The speech drew cheers from the receptive Alabama audience, where Trump won 64% of the vote in 2024, but it also sparked controversy. The Alabama NAACP and UA College Democrats criticized the event, with the latter organizing a “Tide Against Trump” counter-rally featuring Beto O’Rourke and former Sen. Doug Jones, citing concerns over Trump’s policies, including the detention of a UA Ph.D. student by ICE. An online petition opposing the speech garnered 25,000 signatures. Trump closed by contrasting the graduates, the “Crimson Tide,” with the “Harvard Crimson,” aligning them with his vision for America’s future.

Categories: The White House