In a May 1 speech that mixed politics with the inspirational language typical of commencement addresses, Trump slammed the administration of former President Joe Biden as well as judges blocking his immigration moves. "The last four years were not good for our country," Trump said, adding: "We were run by people that didn't have a clue. They didn't have a clue . . . and I'm trying to be nice when I say it that way. They allowed our beautiful USA to be laughed at, scorned and taken advantage of by everybody." Trump touted his second term agenda, including tariffs that have injected uncertainty into an economy where the thousands of graduates he addressed will soon be seeking employment. He predicted strong growth despite gross domestic product shrinking at a 0.3% annual rate in the first quarter, the worst quarterly performance in three years.
President Donald Trump praised the University of Alabama and the spring 2025 graduating class May 1 during a special commencement ceremony. "You learned a lot about winning here at Alabama, and now we need you to help win for America," Trump said, referring to UA's tradition of excellence in athletics and academics.
President Trump proclaimed Thursday that the University of Alabama’s spring graduating class is the first of “the Golden Age of America,” arguing that the students could become “the greatest generation” of Americans. “You’ve done a lot of winning. Winning is a good thing to do,” Trump told the class of 2025 at the university known for its powerhouse athletic programs. “But today I’m also asking you to look forward to something very, very bright and more promising.” The president touted his historic first three months back in the White House as a beacon of what the future has in store. “100 days, yesterday, 100 days … and we’ve done things that nobody thought were even possible,” Trump continued. “You’re graduating at an exciting time for our nation,” he added. “A period of both extraordinary change and incredible potential.” The president predicted that the new graduates will see “unbelievable growth” in the country “very soon.” “You’re going to see it starting very, very soon. The whole world is talking about it,” Trump said. Later, the commander in chief expressed optimism that grads could become a part of the “greatest generation” of Americans to ever live. The president was introduced by legendary former Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban.
