While praising the sentiment behind Memorial Day, President Donald Trump also took time to praise himself and his good fortune, claiming God favors him as president as he repairs the U.S. republic.
“In some ways I’m glad I missed that second term,” Trump told the 2025 graduating class of West Point “… because I wouldn’t be your president. In addition, we have the world Cup, but we have the Olympics. Can you imagine? I missed that four years, and now look what I have? I have everything. It’s amazing the way things work out. God did that.”
While MAGA faithful lauded the brunt of the speech, the X platform was not short of critics claiming the president inserted himself into a day dedicated to America’s fallen.
READ MORE: A veteran tells Trump 'to go straight to hell'
“What a disgrace,” wrote Republicans against Trump, of the president’s claim of God’s favor before countless viewers.
“On Memorial Day, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Donald Trump brags about the World Cup, the Olympics and the 250-year anniversary of the start of the Revolution: “Look what I have. I have everything … God did that,'” recounted podcaster and journalist Jim Stewartson, "Disgrace has lost its meaning."
“Trump's West Point commencement speech was not just a narcissistic, deranged, rant; it was an insult to the men and women of the Corps--on the eve of Memorial Day, no less,” wrote CNN, ABC and CBS analyst Jeff Greenfield. “His early departure--breaking from what past Presidents' did--was just another insult.”
“Because nothing honors the fallen quite like turning a military academy into a campaign rally and doubting 40 years of classified tech like it’s a QAnon thread,” posted Democratic Party ally Brian Krassenstein.
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Early on, Trump criticized the last administration at the onset of his speech, claiming “I am fixing (a republic) after a long and hard four years.”
“That was a hard four years we went through. Who would let that happen? People pouring through our borders unchecked. People doing things that are indescribable and not for today to discuss, but the republic that is now doing so very well. We're doing so very well right now, considering the circumstances, and will do record setting better with time. We will do better than we've ever done as a nation, better than ever before. I promise you that.”
NBC News Senior White House Correspondent Garrett Haake also noted Trump momentarily started to veer into political rally mode on a day about soldiers.
“… President Trump starts to turn to political/rally mode and seems to catch himself. ‘Who would let that happen? People pouring through our borders…’ he pauses and says that’s for another day- then returns to military sacrifice topic,” Haake posted.
READ MORE: 'This is a disgrace': Trump ripped for 'outrageous' and 'divisive' Memorial Day diatribe
Other critics took issue with Trump’s delivery, complaining “Trump slurred the name of Revolutionary War veteran Abner Hosmer during his Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery.”
Read a Raw Story brief at this link.