President Donald Trump delivered a historic commencement address in Tuscaloosa for the graduating class of 2025 at the University of Alabama, bringing a message of hope and inspiration to thousands of young people about to venture forth into the world.
“You’re the first graduating class of the Golden Age of America,” he said.
He praised the school’s incredible sports teams, from football to women’s track and field, and drew huge applause from the young graduating audience when he promised to continue to protect women’s sports from male incursion.
“As long as I’m president, we will always protect women’s sports,” he said. “…They say that’s an 80-20 issue. No, it’s a 97-3 issue.”
Trump also pointed out that this graduating class was the first to “enter the halls of the university in the aftermath of Covid-19.”
He lauded Alabama’s leaders for choosing to remain devoted to free choice rather than strict Covid regulations and lockdowns during the Biden years.
“Let’s give a big round of applause to the leaders of this state who chose liberty over lockdowns,” he said.
On the future, President Trump said it was “natural” for these graduates to “reflect on the four years of happy memories” they had accrued at the school. “But today, I’m asking you to look forward to really, something very, very bright and more promising.”
He vowed to help usher in “an even more promising tomorrow” and said the class was “graduating at an exciting time for our nation.”
Trump elevated this new age as one filled with “exciting change and extraordinary potential.”
“Our country has always been defined by its ability to reform and reinvent itself to meet the challenges of the next era,” he said.
The president continued, “250 years after the first patriots stood and fought at Lexington and Concord, we’re in the midst of another revolution: a revolution of winning and common sense.”
He highlighted the turning tide in culture and society, noting “ancient wisdom is being rediscovered and the best and strongest traits of America are coming back.”
President Trump’s address to the graduating class of 2025 was the first presidential commencement for the school, marking a historic moment for the Crimson Tide.
“Each of the graduates in this arena will soon have the chance to help lead this project of national renewal,” the president said. “…You’ll embrace this moment with strength and grit, faith and patriotism to put America on a new trajectory for your children and then you will take your place among the greatest generation in the history of our country.”
He challenged business majors, engineers, mathematicians, and aspiring journalists to approach their careers with spirit and enthusiasm.
“I’m absolutely confident that the Alabama Class of 2025 is up to the task,” he went on. “Now we need you to help win for America.”
“Don’t just build a strong portfolio, build a very, very strong America,” he said.