The executive order launches a comprehensive statewide response to the Trump Administration’s unprecedented decision to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits beginning November 1, marking the first time in the program’s 60-year history that benefits have been completely suspended.​

“The Trump Administration wants to let tens of millions of Americans go hungry, a failure in leadership and abdication of our responsibility as Americans to take care of each other,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Illinois families, kids, seniors, and people with disabilities will now go without food benefits because President Trump wants to use food assistance as a political bargaining chip.”​

The emergency funding will support seven food banks that supply more than 2,600 food pantries statewide. Half of the funding—$10 million—comes from the Budget Reserve for Immediate Disbursements and Governmental Emergencies Fund, with the remaining $10 million provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The federal government shutdown, which began October 1 and has now lasted 30 days, has resulted in the furlough of approximately 900,000 federal employees nationwide. Despite roughly $5 billion in federal contingency funding available for emergencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has chosen not to issue SNAP benefits for November.​

Illinois administers approximately $350 million in federal SNAP benefits monthly to nearly 1.9 million residents across more than 1 million households. In Illinois, approximately 45 percent of SNAP benefits support households with children, while 44 percent include individuals with disabilities.​

Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined officials from 25 other states in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, arguing that the suspension of benefits is unlawful and demanding that the USDA tap into contingency funds to continue assistance.​

Beyond emergency funding, the executive order establishes multiple initiatives to address food insecurity and mitigate impacts from federal policy changes:​

Emergency Funding to Food Banks: Illinois will direct $20 million in state funding to support food banks across Illinois beginning November 1, as food banks and pantries across the state will likely face increased demand due to the pause of SNAP funds.

Listening to Communities: IDHS and the Illinois Commission to End Hunger (ICTEH) will host statewide listening sessions to hear directly from residents, grocers, food banks, farmers, and community organizations about how SNAP changes are affecting them. A public report will share findings and policy recommendations.

Restoring Hunger Data: IDHS and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will partner with a public university to conduct a comprehensive statewide study on food insecurity, filling the gap left by the USDA’s termination of the Annual National Household Food Insecurity Survey, the results of which have been available for over 20 years and help states understand hunger across communities.

Supporting Local Grocers: In partnership with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), the state will survey grocers statewide to assess the impact of federal changes, identify emerging food deserts, and strengthen support for independent grocery stores serving food-insecure communities.

Interagency Collaboration: IDHS, HFS, Department on Aging, DoIT, and CMS will coordinate through the Governor’s Office to develop interagency strategies to mitigate harm from the federal SNAP cuts and ensure families continue to receive vital food assistance.

Reducing Administrative Barriers: IDHS will analyze and address key drivers of Illinois’s SNAP Payment Error Rate (PER) to reduce costs tied to new federal funding formulas, while continuing to pursue waivers from the USDA to maintain SNAP access for as many residents as possible.

Navigating New Work Requirements: The State will work with community partners to help SNAP recipients understand and comply with new federal work rules and avoid unnecessary benefit loss.

Restoring Food Education: With the elimination of federal SNAP education funding, IDHS and ICTEH will identify Illinois’ food and nutrition education needs and develop recommendations to mitigate gaps.

Public Awareness Campaign: IDHS will launch an educational and outreach campaign to keep community-based organizations, non-profits, and benefit recipients informed about SNAP changes, deadlines, and available supports.

The executive order also addresses significant upcoming changes to SNAP under H.R. 1, the federal budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4, 2025, which reduces SNAP spending by nearly $187 billion over the next decade.​

Beginning October 1, 2026, H.R. 1 shifts an additional 25 percent of SNAP administrative costs from the federal government to states, costing Illinois approximately $80 million annually.​

The law dramatically expands work requirements, more than doubling the number of Illinois SNAP recipients subject to such mandates. The expanded requirements now include adults ages 55-65, parents with children ages 14-18, and eliminate previous exemptions for veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, and youth aging out of foster care.​

Most significantly, starting October 1, 2027, states will be required to pay a portion of SNAP benefits based on their “payment error rate” for the first time in program history. Illinois’ error rate was 11.56 percent in fiscal year 2024—higher than 38 other states and well above the national average.​

States with error rates above 6 percent face penalties of up to 15 percent of total costs. Based on its current error rate, Illinois could face the maximum penalty of approximately $705 million to $800 million annually.

​The executive order also addresses significant upcoming changes to SNAP under H.R. 1, the federal budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4, 2025, which reduces SNAP spending by nearly $187 billion over the next decade.​

Beginning October 1, 2026, H.R. 1 shifts an additional 25 percent of SNAP administrative costs from the federal government to states, costing Illinois approximately $80 million annually.​

The law dramatically expands work requirements, more than doubling the number of Illinois SNAP recipients subject to such mandates. The expanded requirements now include adults ages 55-65, parents with children ages 14-18, and eliminate previous exemptions for veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, and youth aging out of foster care.​

Most significantly, starting October 1, 2027, states will be required to pay a portion of SNAP benefits based on their “payment error rate” for the first time in program history. Illinois’ error rate was 11.56 percent in fiscal year 2024—higher than 38 other states and well above the national average.​

States with error rates above 6 percent face penalties of up to 15 percent of total costs. Based on its current error rate, Illinois could face the maximum penalty of approximately $705 million to $800 million annually.

​SNAP spending drives $1.3 billion in economic output across grocery and retail industries in Illinois and supports more than 18,000 jobs in grocery stores and related sectors. Independent grocery stores contribute over $9.3 billion in sales, over 38,000 direct jobs, over $3.2 billion in wages, and over $1.2 billion in taxes annually statewide.​

Illinois residents who wish to support the food bank system can make contributions at feedingillinois.org. Those needing assistance can contact the IDHS Help Line at 1-800-843-6154 for information about available resources.

The post Illinois Governor Pritzker Directs $20 Million to Food Banks as Federal SNAP Benefits Halt first appeared on SJO Daily.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office following the Diwali festivities, Trump confirmed he could be pursuing the massive payout but claimed to have limited knowledge of the specifics. “It could be,” Trump said when asked about the $230 million figure reported by The New York Times. “I don’t know what the numbers are. I don’t even talk to them about it. All I know is they would owe me a lot of money.”

The unprecedented situation stems from two separate administrative claims filed by Trump’s attorneys in 2023 and 2024 while he was out of office. These complaints serve as precursors to potential lawsuits against the federal government.​

The first claim, submitted in late 2023, seeks damages for alleged violations of Trump’s rights during the FBI and special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential ties between his presidential campaign and the Russian government.​

The second complaint, filed in summer 2024, relates to the classified documents case. Trump alleges that the FBI violated his privacy rights when agents searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in August 2022, and that he was subjected to malicious prosecution by then-special counsel Jack Smith after being charged with mishandling sensitive government documents following his departure from office.​

The situation presents extraordinary ethical challenges, as Trump now controls the very government department tasked with evaluating his compensation claims. “With the country, it’s interesting because I’m the one that makes the decision,” Trump acknowledged during his remarks. “It’s awfully hard to make a decision where I’m paying myself. In other words, did I have one of those cases where you have to decide how much you’re paying yourself in damages?”​

Any settlement would require approval from senior Justice Department officials, several of whom previously served as Trump’s defense attorneys or represented his allies during these very investigations. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, for instance, was Trump’s personal defense attorney in these matters, while another top official, Stanley Woodward Jr., represented Trump’s associates.​​

On October 23, 2025, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin and House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia sent a letter to President Trump demanding full disclosure of his administrative claims and characterizing the compensation effort as unconstitutional.

In their letter, Raskin and Garcia argued that Trump’s plan to receive $230 million from the federal government violates the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits the President from receiving any payment from the federal government or states beyond the presidential salary of $400,000 per year.

“The Founders feared presidents like you might one day be tempted to use their powers to steal U.S. taxpayer funds,” the letter states. “That’s why they enshrined a very simple rule into the Constitution, which is called the Domestic Emoluments Clause. As President, you may not receive any payment from the federal government or any of the states, except for your salary.”

The Democratic lawmakers emphasized that this constitutional prohibition is “categorical” and “not even waivable by Congress,” distinguishing it from the Foreign Emoluments Clause where Congress can approve otherwise prohibited gifts.

The congressional letter provides specific details about one of Trump’s administrative claims:

• $85 million sought in punitive damages from the federal government
• $15 million sought in compensatory damages for the cost of defending against Special Counsel proceedings

Notably, the letter points out that punitive damages are “expressly prohibited” under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), the legal mechanism Trump is using to pursue his claims.

The lawmakers also noted that Trump’s second claim “is not even public,” raising transparency concerns about the scope of his demands from the federal government.

The Democratic representatives accused Trump of deliberately waiting until he became President to pursue these claims through his appointed DOJ officials rather than litigating them publicly in court.

“If either of your claims had any merit, you could have taken them to court by now and litigated them publicly,” the letter states. “You did not do that. Instead, you waited until you became President and installed your handpicked loyalists at DOJ, knowing that you could instruct them to co-sign your demand notes in secret behind closed doors, and then you could present the notes to the U.S. Treasury for cold hard cash courtesy of the American taxpayer. That isn’t justice, it is theft.”

The congressional Democrats are demanding that Trump produce extensive documentation by 5:00 p.m. on October 30, 2025, including:

1. All administrative claims filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, including all documentation, exhibits, affidavits, and evidence
2. All correspondence between Trump or his representatives and DOJ officials regarding the claims, over both official and personal channels
3. All correspondence between White House officials and DOJ officials regarding the claims
4. All DOJ memoranda and legal analyses concerning:
   • The legal merits of the claims
   • The prohibition on punitive damages under the FTCA
   • Constitutional implications under the Domestic Emoluments Clause
   • Ethical propriety of Trump’s former personal attorneys making decisions on his claims
   • Conflicts of interest and recusal obligations
   • Any other aspect of the administrative claims
5. All documents identifying which DOJ officials have been assigned to evaluate Trump’s claims, including recusal determinations and ethics guidance

The letter was copied to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, both Republicans who would need to authorize any formal committee action on the requests.

The letter frames Trump’s compensation pursuit as occurring “at a time when most Americans are struggling to pay rent, put food on the table, and afford health care,” emphasizing the political optics of a wealthy president seeking hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds.

Raskin and Garcia urged Trump to “renounce your plan publicly and assure the American people that their President is not pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars at their expense,” framing the issue as one of public trust and constitutional governance.

The post Trump: “I’m Sort of Suing Myself” as He Considers $230 Million DOJ Payout Over Federal Investigations first appeared on SJO Daily.

Guests can discover what Parkland has to offer through its academic programs, campus life, support services, and more from noon to 2 p.m. in the Student Union, Health Professions and 

Career and Technical Education facilities on the main campus, and Health Professions labs at the Parkland College on Mattis building.

The event allows guests to tour campus and have their questions answered from many Parkland representatives, including those from Accessibility Services, Admissions and Records, Agriculture, Applied Sciences and Technologies, Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Computer Science, Financial Aid, Health Professions, Natural Sciences, and more.

The Health Professions portion of the open house will take place in the L wing of the campus and at the Parkland on Mattis building. The Dental Hygiene, Nursing, Practical Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care, Surgical Technology, and Veterinary Technology programs will be featured in the L wing.

The Parkland on Mattis building will feature Emergency Medical Services, Fire Service, Highway Construction, Medical Assisting, Nursing Assistant, and Occupational Therapy programs.

Parkland’s Career and Technical Education division will host scheduled tours of its facilities and equipment labs in the B wing of the main campus and in the Parkhill Applied Technology Center and Tony Noel Agricultural Technology Applications Center on the west side of campus. Faculty and departmental staff will be on hand to answer questions about programs and training opportunities.

There will be a shuttle service from the main campus to the other buildings. The event will also include an optional main campus walking tour with student ambassadors.

Register for the open house at parkland.edu/openhouse.

For more information, contact Admissions and Records at 217/351-2482 or admissions@parkland.edu.

The post Parkland College to Welcome Future Students, Families for Fall 2025 Open House first appeared on SJO Daily.

Insurance industry officials defended recent homeowners insurance rate spikes this week, blaming such factors as inflation and climate change while warning that attempts to regulate their ability to set rates would be bad for consumers.

In testimony during a virtual meeting Wednesday of the Senate Insurance Committee, officials pushed back against criticisms by Gov. JB Pritzker and legislative leaders who said the hikes raise suspicions that Illinois homeowners are being charged extra to help cover insurance losses caused by wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters elsewhere in the country.

Robert Gordon, a senior vice president at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, said property losses from natural disasters are common in Illinois, and they have been growing more frequent.

“Chicago is the most at-risk of any major city for severe convective storms,” he said. “That’s storms like thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes. … Both the average annual losses and the number of billion-dollar-plus disasters in Illinois has dramatically increased over the last several years.”

Calls for regulation

In July, Pritzker called on lawmakers to pass legislation in the upcoming fall veto session that would give the Illinois Department of Insurance regulatory authority over the rates companies charge for homeowners insurance.

That came after one of the largest insurers in the Illinois market, Bloomington-based State Farm Insurance, announced it was raising premiums for residential property casualty insurance in Illinois by an average 27.2%.

“These increases are predicated on catastrophe loss numbers that are entirely inconsistent with the Illinois Department of Insurance’s own analysis — indicating that State Farm is shifting out-of-state costs onto the homeowners in our state,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Hard-working Illinoisans should not be paying more to protect beach houses in Florida.”

Read more: Pritzker seeks more regulatory authority over homeowners insurance business

State Farm disputed that claim, saying the rate increases were the direct result of property insurance losses in Illinois. It noted the company had lost money in its homeowners’ line of business in 13 of the last 15 years.

But State Farm’s action also highlighted the fact that Illinois is the only state in the nation whose insurance regulators do not have authority to review and either approve, modify or reject proposed premium changes in the homeowners insurance market. Only in recent years has the General Assembly given the department regulatory authority over health insurance premiums.

‘Competition’ as a regulator

Nat Shapo, a former director of the Illinois Department of Insurance under former Gov. George Ryan from 1999 to 2003 who is now an attorney in private practice, testified that the primary job of state regulators should be to make sure insurance companies remain solvent, not to put caps on the premiums they charge.

“That’s because the greatest harm to policyholders that your constituents is when a carrier can’t pay their claims,” he said.

Instead of regulating premiums, Shapo said, Illinois has traditionally relied on market competition to keep rates affordable while regulators have focused on making sure the premiums companies charge are sufficient to provide them with enough capital to pay claims.

He said regulating premiums in a way that inhibits companies from adapting to changing circumstances often results in driving some carriers out of the market, thereby weakening competition and raising prices for consumers even further.

“For 50 years since the market became competitive, (Illinois) has used competition, the most ruthless regulator of price, to regulate insurance rates,” Shapo said. “The results have been very good.”

Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, who chairs the committee, said Wednesday’s hearing was for informational purposes only. She said more hearings will be held before the committee considers any legislation, but she did not indicate when the next hearing would be.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. 

This article first appeared on Capitol News Illinois and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Insurance industry opposes regulation, blames inflation, climate change for rate hikes first appeared on SJO Daily.

The U.S. economy demonstrated resilience in the second quarter of 2025, with gross domestic product (GDP) expanding at an annualized rate of 3.0% according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s advance estimate.

The economic fluctuations were largely driven by dramatic swings in international trade patterns as businesses and consumers responded to President Trump’s comprehensive tariff program. Imports surged in the first quarter as companies rushed to stockpile foreign goods ahead of tariff implementation, then fell sharply in the second quarter as the trade barriers took effect.

The second-quarter growth was primarily fueled by decreased imports, which are subtracted from GDP calculations, and increased consumer spending. These positive factors were partially offset by declines in business investment and exports. Consumer spending, the economy’s main engine, increased modestly after nearly stagnating in the first quarter due to tariff-related uncertainty.

However, economists warn that the headline growth figure masks underlying economic weakness. Real final sales to private domestic purchasers – a key measure that excludes inventory changes and government spending – increased just 1.2% in the second quarter, down from 1.9% in the first quarter. This suggests domestic demand is slowing despite the strong headline GDP number.

Price indicators presented a more encouraging picture for policymakers. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index increased 2.1% in the second quarter, significantly lower than the 3.7% rate in the first quarter. Core PCE inflation, excluding food and energy, also moderated to 2.5% from 3.5% in the previous quarter.

Despite these improvements, inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Recent data shows the annual inflation rate accelerated to 2.7% in June, up from 2.4% in May, marking the highest level since February. The uptick was driven by higher prices for food, transportation services, and used vehicles, while energy costs declined less than expected.

Federal Reserve officials have expressed concern that tariffs are beginning to show through more clearly in consumer prices. The Budget Lab at Yale estimates that all 2025 tariffs could raise the overall price level by 1.7% to 2.1% in the short run, equivalent to an average household income loss of $2,300 to $2,800.

The Federal Reserve voted 9-2 to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged in the 4.25% to 4.5% range, marking the fifth consecutive meeting without a rate change. However, the decision was notable for the rare dissent from two Fed governors – Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller – both Trump appointees who favored a quarter-point rate cut.

This marked the first time since 1993 that two Fed governors dissented from a policy decision.

The Fed’s cautious approach comes from the uncertain effects of Trump’s tariff policies. Powell has indicated that tariffs could have either temporary or persistent inflationary effects.

While unemployment remains low at 4.1% in June, down slightly from 4.2% in May, economists are observing signs of labor market softening. The economy added 147,000 jobs in June, with notable gains in state government (+47,000) and healthcare (+39,200).

However, labor force participation rate declined to 62.3%, and there was a record monthly increase in discouraged workers – people who want jobs but are having difficulty finding them. Manufacturing employment declined by 7,000 jobs, while federal government employment continued to contract.

Economists forecast further softening in the July jobs report, with nonfarm payroll employment projected to rise by only 117,500, down from June’s 147,000. The unemployment rate is expected to tick up to 4.2%.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Trump administration celebrated the GDP figures, with the White House stating that “President Trump has reduced America’s dependence on foreign goods, boosted domestic investment, and created thousands of jobs”. However, economists caution that the trade-driven volatility obscures the economy’s true underlying performance.

The post US Economy Shows Resilience with 3% Q2 Growth While Fed Holds Rates Steady Amid Tariff Uncertainty first appeared on SJO Daily.

U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, a Biden appointee, found that there was a “mountain of evidence” that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol agents were “indiscriminately rounding up numerous individuals without reasonable suspicion” in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The judge determined that federal agents were conducting unlawful “roving patrols” that relied primarily on racial profiling rather than legitimate law enforcement concerns.

The lawsuit, Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem, was filed on July 2, by a coalition of civil rights organizations, including the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Public Counsel, and other advocacy groups. The case was brought on behalf of five individual plaintiffs who alleged they were racially targeted and unlawfully detained, as well as three membership organizations: the Los Angeles Worker Center Network, United Farm Workers, and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.

The court issued two separate temporary restraining orders:

First TRO: Prohibiting Discriminatory Stops

The first order bars immigration agents from stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion and specifically prohibits relying on four factors – alone or in combination – including:

• Apparent race or ethnicity
• Speaking Spanish or English with an accent
• Presence in particular locations like bus stops, car washes, or agricultural sites
• The type of work the person performs

Second TRO: Ensuring Legal Access

The second order requires the Department of Homeland Security to provide access to counsel for people detained at B-18, the federal building in downtown Los Angeles, for eight hours on weekdays and four hours on weekends and holidays.

Since June 6, the Trump administration has deployed hundreds of federal agents from ICE, Border Patrol, and other agencies throughout Los Angeles and surrounding counties in what officials described as an effort to meet a daily quota of 3,000 immigration arrests nationwide. The operation has been supported by 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines tasked with protecting federal buildings and immigration agents.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has defended the operations, stating that agents were preparing to round up “literally tens of thousands of targets” in Los Angeles and vowing that the administration would “not let up” in its immigration crackdown.

The court’s ruling detailed disturbing conditions at the B-18 facility in the basement of the federal building at 300 N. Los Angeles Avenue. Judge Frimpong found that as of June 20, over 300 individuals were being held in cramped, unsanitary conditions, often without access to food and fresh water for extended periods. Some detainees reportedly were so thirsty they had been drinking from toilets.

The facility, known as “the basement” among immigration attorneys, is designed for temporary processing of individuals for less than 12 hours before they are either released or transferred to longer-term detention facilities.

The Trump administration has strongly criticized the ruling. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “A district judge is undermining the will of the American people,” she said.  “America’s brave men and women are removing murderers, MS-13 gang members, pedophiles, rapists—truly the worst of the worst from Golden State communities.” 

“Law and order will prevail.”

A recent Supreme Court decision has restricted the ability of lower federal courts to issue nationwide injunctions, broad orders that block federal policies across the entire country while a case is being litigated. The Court’s ruling means that district judges, like the one in Los Angeles, generally cannot block federal immigration enforcement actions outside their own jurisdiction unless the case is certified as a nationwide class action.

The Supreme Court’s decision does not eliminate all forms of nationwide relief, but it does require lower courts to tailor their orders to provide relief only to the plaintiffs or within their judicial district, unless a broader class is certified.

Attorney Bilal A. “Bill” Essayli maintained that federal agents “have never detained individuals without proper legal justification.”

Approximately half of the people currently held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention do not have a criminal conviction. Specifically, data from June 2025 indicates that around 41% to 72% of ICE detainees have no criminal convictions.

The immigration raids have had profound effects on immigrant and Latino communities throughout Southern California. Local hospitals report that cancellation rates have tripled since the raids began, with St. John’s Community Health noting significant drops in patient visits. A neighborhood farmer’s market in Los Angeles closed temporarily because farmers were “scared” to attend due to increased ICE activity.

The operations have also created widespread fear, with many residents afraid to leave their homes. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the raids, stating: “When you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you’re not trying to keep anyone safe. You’re trying to cause fear and panic.”

The post Federal Judge Blocks Indiscriminate Immigration Raids in Southern California, Citing Racial Profiling and Constitutional Violations first appeared on SJO Daily.

While legal experts agree the 14th Amendment makes such actions impossible, Trump’s threats mark a dangerous shift: using the language of exclusion and punishment not just against immigrants, but against political opponents and dissenting citizens born on American soil.

Targeting American-born Rosie O’Donnell is not the first time Trump has suggested he could go after American citizens. 

In public remarks, Trump has floated the idea of deporting American citizens convicted of crimes, stating, “Many of them were born in our country. I think we ought to get them the hell out of here, too, if you want to know the truth. So maybe that will be the next job.” 

He went on to acknowledge uncertainty about the legality of such actions, adding, “I don’t know if we do or not, we’re looking at that right now”.

Trump has repeatedly singled out celebrities, journalists, and political opponents, sometimes suggesting punitive measures for their dissent. 

O’Donnell was his most recent target as Trump posted “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship. She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” on Truth Social.

The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States.

O’Donnell lived in the United States from 1962, when she was born in New York, until Jan. 2025 when she moved to Ireland. O’Donnell said the outcome of the 2024 presidential race was a factor in her decision to move. She said she would only consider moving back to the United States “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights.” Reportedly, she is pursuing Irish citizenship based on her family heritage.

O’Donnell and Trump have gone back and forth for decades. Recently, O’Donnell criticized Trump’s handling of the deadly Texas flash floods that killed at least 120 people. At least 160 people are still unaccounted for. 

In a TikTok video, O’Donnell blamed Trump for the disaster, stating: “When the president guts all of the early warning systems and the weather forecasting abilities of the government, these are the results.”

Nearly half of the National Weather Service’s 122 field offices are operating with staffing levels at least 20% below normal, with several offices no longer maintaining 24-hour coverage. Some offices have reduced routine weather balloon launches (critical for atmospheric data collection) due to personnel shortages.

The cuts have already resulted in the departure of approximately 800 NOAA employees since February 28, representing about 10% of the agency’s workforce through mass firings and voluntary retirements.

The administration’s proposed 2026 budget for NOAA would slash the agency’s funding by more than 25% overall from its current level of roughly $6 billion. The budget completely eliminates NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), cutting research funding by close to 75% and ending all federal support for climate and weather research programs. If the full budget proposal is approved by Congress, NOAA would lose an additional 2,000 of its 12,000 full-time employees, an 18% reduction in total staffing.

To O’Donnell’s Tik Tok video, Trump threated to remove her citizenship via Truth Social. 

Currently, the President does not have the authority to revoke citizenship of an American-born citizen. The Supreme Court, in Afroyim v. Rusk (1967), explicitly ruled that neither Congress nor the president can strip citizenship from a natural-born citizen unless that individual voluntarily gives it up (for example, by formally renouncing it).

In response to Trump’s threat, O’Donnell posted, “the president of the usa has always hated the fact that i see him for who he is – a criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation to serve himself – this is why i moved to ireland – he is a dangerous old soulless man with dementia who lacks empathy compassion and basic humanity- i stand in direct opposition all he represents- so do millions of others – u gonna deport all who stand against ur evil tendencies – ur a bad joke who cant form a coherent sentence.”

O’Donnell added  “hey donald – you’re rattled again? 
18 years later and I still live rent-free in that collapsing brain of yours. you call me a threat to humanity –
but I’m everything you fear:
a loud woman
a queer woman
a mother who tells the truth
an american who got out of the country b4 u set it ablaze you build walls –
I build a life for my autistic kid in a country where decency still exists you crave loyalty –
I teach my children to question power you sell fear on golf courses –
I make art about surviving trauma you lie, you steal, you degrade –
I nurture, I create, I persist

you are everything that is wrong with america –
and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it you want to revoke my citizenship?
go ahead and try, king joffrey with a tangerine spray tan i’m not yours to silence
i never was rosie”

O’Donnell included several photos of Trump with Jeffery Epstein, who had multiple charges related to sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking with minors before he died in prison. 

After campaigning on a pledge to release the full Epstein files and asserting that Attorney General Pam Bondi had the documents on her desk, the Trump administration has now formally stated there is no secret client list connected to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

During a cabinet meeting on July 8, Trump was asked about the Epstein files. He said, “You’re asking – we have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things, and are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable. I mean, I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein at a time like this, where we’re having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration.”

While talking about the tragedy in Texas during the same meeting, Trump drew attention to the cosmetic changes in the cabinet meeting room. 

“See the medallions on top. They had a chain going into the ceiling and I said you can’t do that, you have to have a medallion. They said what’s a medallion, I said, I’ll show you and we got some beautiful medallions, and you see them. They were put up there, makes the lamps look better. So, we did these changes.

“And you know, when you think of it, the cost was almost nothing. We also painted the room a nice color, beige color, and it’s been really something. The only question is will I gold leaf the corners. You could maybe tell me, my cabinet could take a vote. You see the top line moldings. And the only question is do you gold leaf it because you can’t paint it. If you paint it, it won’t look good because they’ve never found a paint that looks like gold.”

Trump spent the weekend defending the Attorney General and FBI’s findings. He downplayed the significance of the Epstein case, stating that “nobody cares about” Epstein and that further time and resources should not be wasted on the issue. He told his followers to “not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein” and to focus on other priorities.

On Truth Social, Trump said, “Could you all just FOCUS on the very many other more important things to discuss than whether or not I may or MAY NOT be all over the Epstein Files? There was a BIG FLOOD in Texas. Huge flood as it relates to water. Many people DIED. Many beautiful young girls. Perhaps some not so beautiful illegal Mexican peoples as well. Perhaps drug dealers disguised as day laborers. You can never tell. They don’t speak American. That is very suspicious. Again, forget about me and the Epstein Files. Focus on MEXICANS and FLOODING.”

The patterns in Trump’s current rhetoric about revoking citizenship from naturalized Americans bear a resemblance to Adolf Hitler’s early authoritarian tactics as he consolidated power in Nazi Germany.

When Hitler rose to power in 1933, his first targets were political opponents rather than Jews or other groups that would later become the primary victims of Nazi persecution. The Nazi regime immediately began using legal mechanisms to silence dissent and eliminate opposition through what appeared to be lawful processes.

Within months of taking power, Hitler’s government passed the Malicious Practices Act on March 21, 1933, which made it a crime to speak out against the government or criticize its leaders. Even “gossiping” or “making fun” of government officials could result in arrest and imprisonment in concentration camps. This was followed by the Enabling Act on March 24, 1933, which gave the chancellor power to punish anyone considered an “enemy of the state.”

The Nazi regime’s approach was methodical and bureaucratic, using existing legal structures to create new categories of exclusion. The Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service passed on April 7, 1933, excluded “non-Aryans” from the legal profession, civil service, and teaching positions. This established the precedent of using citizenship and racial categories as tools of political control.

More significantly, the Law on Denaturalization and Revocation of Citizenship passed on July 14, 1933, allowed authorities to revoke naturalizations that were deemed “undesirable” or to denaturalize persons whose conduct “violated the duty of loyalty toward Germany”. The law specifically targeted Eastern European Jews who had gained German citizenship after World War I, but its broadly worded provisions gave officials “unbridled discretion” to strip citizenship through administrative decisions.

The Trump administration has explicitly announced plans to pursue “maximal enforcement” of denaturalization proceedings, with the Department of Justice issuing a June 2025 memo directing attorneys to prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law.

Like Hitler’s regime, Trump has systematically expanded the definition of who constitutes a threat to the state. The administration has weaponized immigration status to silence critics, targeting international students who protested Israel’s actions in Gaza and threatening to revoke green cards from activists. Trump has also suggested that U.S. citizens who criticize administration policies could be charged with crimes based on claims they’re “aiding terrorists.”

The post Trump Threatens to Revoke American-Born Rosie O’Donnell’s U.S. Citizenship first appeared on SJO Daily.

Two Shoes, known for their energetic performances and genre-blending style, will share the stage with Urbana Review, a group celebrated for their soulful sound and dynamic musicianship. Both acts are favorites in the Champaign-Urbana music scene.

The Summer Concert Series is a signature program by the Champaign County Forest Preserve District, designed to connect residents with nature and the arts. Organizers encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic baskets, making it a family-friendly outing surrounded by the natural beauty of the Middle Fork River Forest Preserve.

Admission to the concert is free, and all ages are welcome. The preserve’s ample open space provides plenty of room for families and friends to relax and enjoy the show. The Forest Preserve District recommends arriving early to secure a good spot and to take advantage of the preserve’s trails and amenities before the music begins.

The post Two Shoes and Urbana Review to Headline Summer Concert Series at Middle Fork River Forest Preserve first appeared on SJO Daily.

Trump’s recruiting claims lack substantiation. He asserted that the military had set a “brand new peacetime recruiting record” and that “by next week, the army is expected to surpass its recruiting targets for the entire year,” adding this “hasn’t happened in 28 years”. No official recruiting statistics or verification of these specific claims appear in the available sources.

During Trump’s first term (2017-2021), his administration oversaw substantial increases in defense budgets, with $2.2 trillion in spending over four years, including $738 billion in 2020. For Fiscal Year 2026, the administration’s budget proposal includes a discretionary base budget of $1.01 trillion, a significant increase from the previous year’s enacted budget of $892.6 billion.

The claim of defeating ISIS in “three weeks” is false. ISIS lost 95% of its territory by December 2017, and the formal end of its territorial caliphate occurred in March 2019. This was the result of a multi-year campaign by a U.S.-led coalition that began airstrikes in August 2014. While the speaker declared ISIS defeated in December 2018, the final territorial defeat took several more months.

Available documentation provides no corroboration for allegations that Russian entities obtained classified hypersonic missile blueprints from U.S. sources during the Obama presidency. While multiple nations accelerated hypersonic research in the 2010s, open-source technical analyses suggest Russia’s Avangard and Zircon systems derive from indigenous Soviet-era scramjet research rather than purloined Western designs. The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s 2023 review of hypersonic program security found “no substantiated incidents of foreign state actors compromising current-generation hypersonic glide body intellectual property”.

The U.S. officially accepted a Boeing 747-8 luxury jet from Qatar as a gift, which the speaker expressed a desire to convert for use as a new Air Force One. However, experts have warned that converting such a plane to meet Air Force One standards would take years and incur significant costs (about $1 billion). The project for new Air Force One planes, initially contracted under the Obama administration, has faced setbacks and is not expected to be ready for several more years. While the Trump administration in 2020 agreed to sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to the UAE, that particular sale was later suspended by the UAE in 2021.

The claim of “soaring morale to the highest levels in many decades” is subjective and not directly supported by the provided information. The assertion that “last year was the worst of all, the last year of the Biden administration. We couldn’t get anybody to join our military” is inaccurate. Military records indicate that enlistments began rebounding from a pandemic slump long before Election Day in November 2024, and numbers continued to rise in 2023 and 2024 (under the Biden administration). While the Army did miss its recruiting targets in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and FY2023, it successfully met its revised goal in FY2024.

The claim of setting a “brand new peacetime recruiting record” is not supported by the provided data. While January 2025 saw the best Army recruiting numbers in 15 years, and December 2024 in 12 years, these figures (e.g., 15,597 enlistments in January 2025) are lower than monthly highs seen in 2018 (during Trump’s first term: 16,800) and August 2024 (under the Biden presidency: 24,000). Overall, enlistments remain significantly below Cold War highs, such as over 220,000 people enlisting in 1990. A 1940 peacetime record cited in the provided material refers to 85,000 volunteers signing up for a three-year enlistment, a much larger scale than current monthly figures.

Trump’s average annual GDP growth during his first term (2017-2021) was 2.3%. This was the same as the average during the Obama administration (2009-2017) and lower than the Biden administration’s average (2021-2025) of 3.2%. While 2.3% is considered a healthy range for GDP growth, it was not “the greatest, single greatest economy for a president in history”. Trump left office with 3 million fewer jobs than when he took office, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making him the only modern U.S. president to leave office with a smaller workforce. The unemployment rate, after hitting a 50-year low of 3.5% in February 2020, surged to a 90-year high of 14.7% in April 2020 due to the pandemic.

The claim that the U.S. economy is “hotter now than we’ve ever seen it” and has “turned it around” from being “as cold as it gets” a year ago is not fully supported by data. Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025 (January, February, and March). The U.S. monthly international trade deficit increased in March 2025, rising from $123.2 billion in February to $140.5 billion. While personal income and consumption increased in March 2025, the personal saving rate was 3.9%, indicating a mixed economic picture. The unemployment rate in April 2025 was 4.2%, an increase from 4.0% in January 2025. However, job creation has shown positive movement, with 228,000 jobs created in March alone, and 345,000 jobs created since January 2025, with claims of private sector driving growth.

Under the Biden administration, the average number of monthly border encounters was nearly 160,000, with a daily average peaking at 15,000. Total encounters over the four years of the Biden administration were approximately 11 million. While these figures represent high numbers of crossings, they do not equate to “hundreds of thousands of people coming into our country a day,” which would imply tens of millions annually.

The claim of near-zero crossings (“nobody come in,” “99.999%”) and only “one person” coming in during the last week and a half is a severe exaggeration and is factually incorrect. While encounters have significantly decreased under the current administration, they are not zero. March 2025 saw the lowest monthly number of border encounters in recorded history, at less than 7,200 (an average of 232 per day). February 2025 saw the lowest daily number at less than 200. In April 2025, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded 8,383 apprehensions along the southwest border (an average of 279 per day), which represents a 93% drop from April 2024.

In Fiscal Year 2024, 1.1% of people stopped while illegally crossing the border had a prior criminal conviction, accounting for approximately 17,000 arrests. The most common prior conviction was illegal entry. Homicide or manslaughter represented only 0.1% of all past criminal convictions among those apprehended. While the administration has reported arresting over 151,000 illegal aliens and deporting over 135,000 in its first 100 days, including members of gangs like Tren De Aragua and MS-13 , the general assertion that large numbers of “criminals,” “people outta prisons,” or “mentally insane” are simply “walking in, no vetting, no check-in, no nothing” is an overgeneralization and highly inflammatory.

The Transcript

“Well, I want to thank you very much. This is a beautiful place. I’ve been here many times going to high school, not so far away. Good, a good place. Also, a military academy. Not quite of this distinction, but it was a lot of fun for me. And I just wanna say hello, cadets, and on behalf of our entire nation, let me begin by saying congratulations to the West Point class of 2025, you are winners, every single one of you.

Thank you. And now we want you to relax, and I’m supposed to say, “At ease.” But you’re already at ease. You’re at ease because you’ve made a great choice in what you’re doing. Your choices in life has been really amazing. So this is a celebration,n and let’s have a little fun. I want to thank your highly respected superintendent, General Steven Gilland, and he is really, uh, something, I got to know him backstage with his beautiful family and his reputation. His wife is just incredible, his reputation is unbelievable.

And thank you very much. And your daughter is a winner also. Just like everybody out there, real winner. Thank you. Thank you. I also want to thank your [Inaudible] General RJ Garcia, Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll, Army Chief of Staff, General Randy George, Senator Ashley Moody, Representatives Steve Womack, Bill Huizenga, Pat Ryan, Mark Green, Keith Self.

Acting US attorney, Alina Habba. And very much, uh, just all of the friends. We have a lot of friends in the audience today. And I just want to thank ’em all for being here. We have a tremendous amount of my friends. They wanted to come up and they wanted to watch this ceremony and they wanted to watch you much more so than me. So I just want to thank so many people are here.

Over the past four years, an extraordinary group of professors, teachers, coaches, leaders, and warriors have transformed this class of cadets into an exceptional group of scholars and soldiers. And so let’s give the entire group, the entire West Point faculty, the staff, for their incredible love of you and outstanding devotion to the core.

Let’s give them a little hand. And importantly, we can’t forget all of those people beaming with pride, look at them in the audience, oh, they’re so proud. They’re in the stands. So thank your parents, your grandparents and family members who made this all possible for you. Thank you. And I think they must have done something right based on what I’m looking at. America loves our military moms and dads.

Nearly one-third of the cadets graduating today are themselves the children of veterans. So to everyone with us this morning who served America in uniform, no matter your age, please stand so we can salute your service, we’d like to see who you are. Congratulations. Great job. Every cadet on the field before me should savor this morning. ’cause this is a day that you will never, ever forget.

In a few moments, you’ll become graduates of the most elite and storied military academy in human history. And you’ll become officers in the greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known. And I know because I rebuilt that army, and I rebuilt the military. And we rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before in my first term.

Your experience here at West Point has been anything but easy. — came for duty. You came to serve your country, and you came to show yourselves, your family, and the world that you are among the smartest, toughest, strongest, most lethal warriors ever to walk on this planet. Looking out at all of you today, I can proudly say, mission accomplished.

Great job. But now you have to go on. You have to forget that ’cause now you have another. It’s a sad thing, isn’t it? You know, you can’t rest on your laurels no matter what. You just have to keep going. You take it, you take a little day off and you go on to the rest. ’cause you have to have victory, after victory, after victory.

And that’s what you’re gonna have as you receive your commissions as second lieutenants, each of you continues down the same hallowed path, walked by Titans and legends of US, military law. Giants like Ulysses S. Grant, John Black Jack Pershing, Dwight David Eisenhower, the one and only Douglas MacArthur, old blood and guts, George Patton and Stormin’ Norman Schwarzkopf, all great.

So many more. They and countless other patriots before you have walked out of these halls and straight into history. And today, you officially join those immortal heroes in proud ranks of the long gray line. You know that term. So beautiful. The long gray line. Among the 1,000 cadets graduating today, 26 of you wear the prestigious Star Wreath, signifying the highest level of academic achievement.

Please stand up. 26. Let’s see if somebody stands who shouldn’t be standing. Congratulations. That’s a big honor. This class includes an incredible four Rhodes Scholars. Stand up, please. Four. Wow. That’s tied for the most of any West Point class since 1959. That’s great. Four. Congratulations. Boy, oh boy, oh boy.

I wanna bring them right to the Oval Office. I don’t wanna have them go too far away from me. Eight cadets here today took on the challenge of designing their own hypersonic rocket. Oh, we can use you. We’re building them right now. You know, we, uh, we had ours stolen. We had — We are the designer of it. We had it stolen during the Obama administration.

They stole it. You know who stole it? The Russians stole it. Something bad happened. But we’re now — We’re the designer of it and we’re now building them and lots of them. And earlier this year, they launched it into space, setting a world record for amateur rocketry. Can’t get you in there fast enough.

This class excelled not only mentally but also physically last January when more than 1,000 cadets volunteered for an 18-and-a-half mile march on a freezing winter night. Cadet Chris Verdugo completed the task in 2 hours and 30 minutes flat, smashing the international record for the competition by 13 minutes.

Where is he? Where is he? Come up here. Come up here, Chris. Get up here, Chris. Wow. Come here. That’s — By 13 minutes. Come here, Chris. I wanna see this guy. Say something. Come here. Come here.

(Chris Verdugo speaks)

Wow. That’s great. Keep it going, Chris. That really is the definition of Army strong, isn’t it? International. International. This class includes 513 graduates who completed Air Assault School, 70 who completed Airborne School, eight who made it through the ultra-elite Army Diver School, among the most difficult and grueling programs anywhere on Earth.

That includes the first two women in West Point history to complete Diver School. cadets Megan Cooper and Clara Sebu. Where are you? Stand up. Where are they? Wow. Great job. That is not easy. Congratulations, Megan, Clara. That’s a job well done. Fantastic. Thank you very much. Some of you achieved a different kind of distinction here at the academy, including seven-century men who completed 100 hours of marching for disciplinary — oh, no, infractions.

No. Don’t tell me I’m doing this. Oh, I’m so sorry. Would you like to stand up? (laughs) I don’t know. I think I saw Chris standing up. Chris, what, what’s going on here? Well, you had one good, one not so good. Right, Chris? Can’t believe Chris is standing up. But we want everyone to leave here today, Chris, so you’re gonna be okay because I’m gonna do something with a clean slate.

So in keeping with tradition, I hereby pardon all cadets on restriction for minor conduct offenses effective immediately. So you’re all okay. You’re all okay. The class of 2025 is a lot to be proud of, including your first-rate athletes and athletics. You are something. I’ve been watching too. I watch. I love the sports stuff.

What you’ve done is pretty amazing. Last year, for the first time ever, army lacrosse became the number one ranked men’s lacrosse team in the entire country. Look at that. Those of you on the team, stand. That’s a big honor. Stand. Great. That’s a tough sport too. That’s number one in the country. Your sophomore year, Army football beat Navy 20-17. And the you did it again, beating Navy 17 to 11 and dominating Air Force 23 to three.

But, this year, the Black Knights fought your way into the top 20 nationally and racked up your longest winning streak since 1949 with the help of graduating quarterback Cadet Bryson Daily or, as you call him, Captain America. Captain America. Stand up, Bryson. Where is Bryson? We gotta get him up here, right?

Come on, Bryson. Come on up. Man, oh, man, I heard — I heard he’s, uh — well, I came to a game, and he was — I said, “Yeah, he can get into the NFL, can’t he?” But he chose this life and, you know what, I think he made a good choice. Come on up here, Bryson. Come on up. Wow.

(Byson Daily speaks)

All right. Go, Army football. Shout out to Hogs, H4. Um, can’t wait to graduate. Love you, guys. Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, sir.

If there anything we can do, just let me know. Okay? It’s a great honor.

(Byson Daily speaks)

What a great guy. Well, I just tapped his shoulders like I hit a piece of steel. The guy’s in good shape. There’s a reason, you know, there’s always a reason for success. Thank you, Bryson. At a time when other top college quarterbacks were thinking about going pro, Bryson’s mind was on something else. As he told an interviewer earlier this year, “I’m focused on my career as an infantry officer.” That’s what he wants to do. So, Bryson, you did the right thing, and that’s service at its finest.

Thanks, Bryson. That’s amazing. He’s an amazing guy with an amazing team. Each of you on the field today is among the most talented members of your generation. You could have done anything you wanted. You could have gone anywhere. You could have gone to any school. This is one of the hardest schools to get into.

And writing your own ticket to top jobs on Wall Street or Silicon Valley wouldn’t be bad, but I think what you’re doing is better. Instead of sports teams and spreadsheets and software, you chose a life of service, very important service, instead of stock options. And I do that stuff. It’s sort of boring, honestly.

Compared to what you’re doing, it’s real boring. You chose honor and you chose sacrifice. And, instead of business suits and dress shoes, you chose muddy boots and fatigues, keeping yourself in shape, because West Point cadets don’t just have the brightest minds, you also have the bravest hearts and the noblest souls.

You’re amazing people. I could not be more proud to serve you as your commander-in-chief. And our country is doing well. We’ve turned it around. Very quickly, we’ve turned it around. I just got back from the Middle East, and I was at, as you know, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE. And, I will tell you, they said, all three leaders, great leaders of those three nations, they all said the same thing.

The United States of America is hotter now than we’ve ever seen it and, a year ago, it was as cold as it gets. And it’s true. It’s true. We have the hottest country in the world, and the whole world is talking about it. And that’s an honor for all of us. I cannot wait to see the glory that is still ahead.

However, for the West Point Class of 2025, and we’re gonna help you a lot because we’re gonna give you a nation as good or better than it ever was. That’s what I promise you. All the victories that you’ve had together on these grounds will soon pale in comparison to the momentous deeds that you’ll perform on the mission you’re accepting today and as, uh, future leader of America’s Army.

And we have that Army geared up. We have ordered, you know, we just want $1 trillion military budget, general. Do you know that? 1 trillion? Some people say, “Could you cut it back?” I said, “I’m not cutting 10 cents.” There’s another thing we can cut. We can cut plenty of others, right, Dan? We can cut plenty of other things.

And you have a good man in Dan, too, general. I think you’re gonna find that it’s a very different, uh, warfare out there today. Now, they’ve introduced a thing called drone. A drone is a little bit different. It makes — You have to go back and learn a whole new form of warfare, and you’re gonna do it better than anybody else.

There won’t be anybody close. Generation after generation, the men and women of the Army have done whatever it takes to defend our flag, pouring out their blood onto the fields of battle all over the world. And, all over the world, you’re respected like nobody is respected. Our soldiers have sprinted through storms of bullets, clouds of shrapnel, slogged through miles of dirt and oceans of sand, scaled towering cliffs of jagged rock.

And, time and time again, the American soldier is charged into the fires of hell and sent the devil racing in full retreat. No task has ever been too tough for America’s Army. And now that 250-year legacy of glory and triumph belongs to you, the 1,000 newest officers of the greatest fighting force in the history of the world.

And that’s what you are, and that’s what you’re being thought of. Again, you are the first West Point graduates of the Golden Age of America. This is the golden age, I tell you. Promise. We’re in a new age. This is the Golden Age, and you are the going to lead the Army to summits of greatness that has never reached before.

And you see that. And you see what’s happening. You see what’s going on in the world. Each of you is entering the Officer Corps at a defining moment in the Army’s history. For at least two decades, political leaders from both parties have dragged our military into missions, it was never meant to be. It wasn’t meant to be. People would say, “Why are we doing this?

Why are we wasting our time, money, and souls,” in some case. They said to our warriors on nation-building crusades to nations that wanted nothing to do with us, led by leaders that didn’t have a clue in distant lands, while abusing our soldiers with absurd ideological experiments here and at home. All of that’s ended.

You know that. All of it’s ended. It’s ended, strongly ended. They’re not even allowed to think about it anymore. They subjected the Armed Forces to all manner of social projects and political causes while leaving our borders undefended and depleting our arsenals to fight other countries’ wars. We fought for other countries’ borders, but we didn’t fight for our own border.

But now we do, like we have never fought before, by the way. But under the Trump administration, those days are over. We’re getting rid of the distractions and we’re focusing our military on its core mission, crushing America’s adversaries, killing America’s enemies, and defending our great American flag like it has never been defended before.

The job of the US Armed Forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures, but to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun. The military’s job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America, anywhere, anytime, in any place. A big part of that job is to be respected again.

And you are, as of right now, respected more than any army anywhere in the world. And that’s happening. And I can tell you, you are respected like nobody can believe. As president, I am laser-focused on our core national interests. My preference will always be to make peace and to seek partnership, even with countries where our differences may be profound.

As you know, we’re working on a lot of things right now. When I left office four years ago, we had no wars, we had no problems, we had nothing but success. We had the most incredible economy, the greatest, single greatest economy for a president in history. I think we’re gonna beat it this time by a lot, if you want to know the truth.

But we had something going on very special. But if the United States or its allies are ever threatened or attacked, the Army will obliterate our opponents with overwhelming strength and devastating force. That’s why my administration has begun a colossal buildup of the United States Armed Forces, a buildup like we’ve never had before.

Peace through strength. You know the term, I’ve used it a lot. Because as much as you wanna fight, I’d rather do it without having to fight. I just wanna look at them and have them fold. And that’s happening. That’s happening. And I’ve approved a one-trillion-dollar investment. And that will be, again, the largest ever in the history of our country.

And we are buying you new airplanes, brand-new, beautiful planes, redesigned planes, brand-new planes, totally stealth planes. I hope they’re stealth. I don’t know, that whole stealth thing, I’m sorta wondering. You mean if we shape a wing this way, they don’t see it, but the other way they see it? I’m not so sure.

But that’s what they tell me. We have the best tanks anywhere in the world. We’re gonna start shipbuilding again. We’re gonna start ship. We used to build a ship a day. Now we don’t build them anymore. We had a lot of people that didn’t know much about getting things built. But that’s all I’ve done in my life, is build.

We’re gonna have the best missiles, we already do, drones and much, much more. And earlier this week, I think you’ll like this, I announced that we are officially building all in America, made in America, designed in America. We’re the only ones that could do it, because we’re the only ones that, with the great technology, we’re building the Golden Dome Missile Defense Shield to protect our homeland and to protect West Point from attack.

And it will be completed before I leave office. And you know, you wouldn’t think this, but our enemies are very unhappy about it. You’ve been hearing, you’ve been reading, “Why are they doing that? Why?” Well, we’re doing it because we wanna be around for a long time. That’s why we’re doing it. We’re also restoring the fundamental principle that a central purpose of our military is to protect our own borders from invasion.

Our country was invaded for the last four years, and they’ve allowed people to come into our country that shouldn’t be, that shouldn’t be here. Criminals walk in, no vetting, no check-in, no nothing. Where are they coming from? And they were taking people outta prisons. They were taking gang members. They were taking the mentally insane and allowing them to come in. And we’re getting them out of our country.

We have no choice. We’re getting them out and bringing them back where they came from.

Have no choice. And it’s not easy. It’s not easy. But hopefully the courts will allow us to continue. You know, we had the greatest election victory. This was, uh, November 5th was we won the popular vote by millions of votes. We won all seven swing states. We won everything. We won 2,750 districts against 505, 2,750 against 505. We had a great mandate and it gives us the right to do what we wanna do to make our country great again.

And that’s what we’re going to do. And on day one, I deployed our military to the southern border, and since that day we’ve reduced the number of illegal border crossings where there used to be hundreds of thousands of people coming into our country a day, we had nobody come in in the last week and a half.

We were at 99.999%, 99.999. Think of that. That was with the help of our military. We had one person come in. One. You know why? He got very sick, and we brought him through to have him brought to a hospital. One person. And for that, please don’t hold me responsible, but that’s okay. They did the right thing.

Gone are the days where defending every nation but our own was the primary thought. We are putting America first. We have to put America first. We have to rebuild and defend our nation. And very shortly you’re going to see a nation better than it’s ever been. And you see that with the trade. For years, we’ve been ripped off by every nation in the world on trade.

We’ve been ripped off at the NATO level. We’ve been ripped off like no country has ever been ripped off. But they don’t rip us off anymore. They’re not gonna rip us off anymore. And you’re seeing it. You have to watch what we’re doing on trade. I know it’s not your primary thing, but it’s quite important in all fairness.

But watch. You’ll see what’s going on. You’ve been reading about it over the last few days. We’re making deals with other nations that were not even — Nobody thought it would be even possible. And uh, the reason is very simple. They respect us again. They’re respecting our country again. That’s what you want.

And everything we do, we are bringing common sense back to America. It’s all about common sense. We can say we’re liberal, we’re conservative. The new word is progressive. They don’t like using the word liberal anymore. That’s why I call them liberal. But, but, uh, whatever you are, you know, most importantly, you have to have common sense because most of it’s — General, most of it’s about common sense when you get right down to it. And uh, we have a lotta people with a lotta, lotta very smart people, but they have to have common sense.

And we’ve liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings. There will be no more critical race theory or transgender for everybody forced onto our brave men and women in uniform or on anybody else for that matter in this country. And we will not have men playing in women’s sports if that’s okay.

I mean, I wouldn’t wanna have to tackle as an example Bryson as a man, but I don’t think a lotta women wanna tackle him. I don’t think so. How crazy is it, men playing in women’s sports? How crazy is it? So ridiculous. So demeaning. So demeaning to women. And it’s over. That’s over. We’ve ended it. And promotions and appointments will not be based on politics or identity.

They’ll be based on merit. We won that case in the Supreme Court of the United States. We’re allowed to go back to a system of merit. We’re a merit-based country again. Today, morale in the armed forces is soaring to the highest levels in many decades after years of recruiting shortfalls. And we had years and years of recruiting shortfalls, and just last year was the worst of all, the last year of the Biden administration.

We couldn’t get anybody to join our military. We couldn’t get anybody to join our police or firefighters. We couldn’t get anybody to join anything. And right now, just less than a year later, we just set a brand new peacetime recruiting record. The most, most people joined. And we are brimming — In fact, be careful.

There’s somebody gonna try and take your job. Be careful. You better be good. We are brimming with confidence and we’re brimming with people. We had the most, best recruiting month that we’ve had in memory. Nobody remembers anything like it. And that’s all because they have spirit now. They have spirit. They have a spirit for our country.

And now everybody wants to be doing what you’re doing. Think of that. So, it’s really a great honor, I will say. And I’m pleased to report that by next week, the army is expected to surpass its recruiting targets for the entire year. Something that hasn’t happened in 28 years where we’ve had that. So that’s pretty good.

And it’s nice to know that you’re doing something that everybody wants to do. Isn’t it really nice? Wasn’t — I hated to hear that. During the campaign, I was hearing that, the, you couldn’t get people to enlist. But now we’re getting people, and it’s sad because we’re telling so many people, “I’m sorry, we can’t do it.” My administration is doing everything possible to forge the most powerful military ever built.

But ultimately, the task of keeping America strong and safe in the years ahead is going to belong to you. Among you are the lieutenants, majors, colonels, and generals who’ll lead the army for the next 10, 20, 30, and even 40 years. So as commander-in-chief, let me offer a few words of advice as you begin your army careers.

And I thought I’d do this, and I can make this to a civilian audience or to a military audience. It’s pretty much the same. And, uh, I did this recently at uh, Ohio State, and they really liked it. I gave them a little advice as to what I see for what you wanna do and some tips. And first of all, and you’ve already done it different from civilians.

They’re making their decision right now. You’ve already made your decision. I love your decision. You have to do what you love. You have to do what you love. If you don’t love it, you’ll never be successful at it. And you’ve done this, and you really, many of you in the audience, many of you that are graduating, uh, you come from military backgrounds or you love the military, it’s what you want to do, it’s what you want to talk about.

One thing I see about people that love the military, that’s all they want to talk about. I’ll be out to dinner, and generals if they, if they love their job, usually the only good ones are the ones that want to talk about it all the time. But if they talk, that’s what they want to talk about. I rarely, really very rarely see somebody who’s successful that doesn’t love what he or she does.

You have to love what you do. In your case, the military is what you chose. And I’ll tell you what; you cannot go wrong. You’re gonna see it too. You’re gonna love it more and more with time. You know, I work all the time. That’s all I do is I work, whether it’s politically. Or before that, I did — I was a very good businessman in case you haven’t heard, really good.

But I was good ’cause I loved it, I loved it. I learned from my father a little bit of — My father was a happy guy and all he did was work. He’d work Saturdays, Sundays. He’d work all the time. And he was a happy guy. He just loved life. And I learned that. I say, “You know, it makes him happy.” I’ve seen other people that never work and they’re not happy.

But you gotta love it, otherwise you won’t be successful. In the army, there are a lot of different paths you can take, so follow your instincts and make sure that you take the path that you love, that you’re doing something that you love within your military. You will be happier and the army will be far stronger for it. Second is to think big.

Always think big. If you’re going to do something, you might as well think big, do it big because it’s just as tough, and sometimes it’s a lot easier thinking big than doing a small task that’s more difficult. One of your greatest graduates, General Eisenhower used to say, “Whenever I run into a problem that I can’t solve, I always like to make it bigger to solve it and solve more of it.” If you go into solve a problem, and it might as well be a big problem as opposed to a small problem that lots of people can take advantage of and solve.

So you can achieve something really amazing. Think big. Third though, you gotta do this. Uh, brainpower you have to have, potential you have to have, but to be really successful, you’re always going to have to work hard. An example is a great athlete, Gary Player. Great golfer. He wasn’t as big as the other men that were playing against him; great, big, strong guys.

Gary was a smaller guy. I don’t want to say too small. He is a friend of mine. He gets a little angry at people because he hits the ball just as far. He said, “I hit the ball further than them. Why am I small?” But he worked very, very hard. He was always doing exercise, he was always — He was well ahead of his time.

He never stopped. He won 168 golf tournaments. He won 18 majors, nine regular, and nine on the senior tour. 18 with 168. That’s the most tournaments, internationally the most tournaments anybody’s ever won. But he made a statement years ago, and I heard it, I heard it. He’s the first one. I think I’ve heard it a couple of times since, but he was the first.

He said, “It’s funny, the harder I work, the luckier I get.” And think of that, the harder I work, the luckier I get. And he worked hard, and you’re working hard, and the harder you work, the luckier you’re gonna get. Fourth is don’t lose your momentum. Momentum’s an amazing thing. Keep it going. I tell a story sometimes about a man who was a great, great real estate man.

He was a man who was admired for real estate all over the world, actually, but all over the country. He built Levittowns. He started as a man who built one house, then he built two, then he built five, then he built 20, then he built 1,000, then he built 2,000 and 3,000 a year. And he got very big, very big.

He was great at what he did. You see them all over the country still, Levittowns, so a long time ago. But he was, uh, the first of the really, really big home builders. And he became very rich, became a very rich man, and then he decided to sell. He was offered a lot of money by a big conglomerate, Gulf and Western, big conglomerate.

They didn’t do real estate, they didn’t know anything about it, but they saw the money he was making; they wanted to take it to a public company. And they gave him a lot of money, tremendous amount of money. More money than he ever thought he’d get. And he sold this company and he had nothing to do. He ended up getting a divorce, found a new wife.

Could you say a trophy wife? I guess we can say a trophy wife. It didn’t work out too well. But it doesn’t — And that doesn’t work out too well, I must tell you. A lot of trophy wives doesn’t work out, but it made him happy for a little while at least. But he found a new wife. He sold his little boat and he got a big yacht.

He had one of the biggest yachts anywhere in the world. He moved for a time to Monte Carlo and he led the good life. And time went by and he got bored. And 15 years later, the company that he sold to called him and they said, “The housing business is not for us.” You have to understand, when Bill Levitt was hot, when he had momentum, he’d go to the job sites every night.

He’d pick up every loose nail, he’d pick up every scrap of wood. If there was a bolt or a screw laying on the ground, he’d pick it up and he’d use it the next day and putting together a house. But now he was spoiled and he was rich, he was really rich. And they called and they said, “This isn’t for us, this business.

We need to do other things. Would you like to buy it back? We’ll sell it back to you cheap.” And they did. He bought it, he bought it. He thought he made a great deal and he was all excited. But it was 15 years later, he lost a lot of momentum. Remember the word momentum, and he lost everything, it just didn’t work, he lost everything.

And I was sitting at a party on Fifth Avenue one night a long time ago, and you had the biggest people in New York, the biggest people in the country, all in that party, and they were all saluting each other, how great they were, they were all telling each other, “I’m greater than you.” It gets to be really, gives you a headache sometimes, but they had all these people telling their own stories about how fantastic.

A cocktail party, and I looked over, and I was doing well, I was, I don’t know, I was invited to the party, so I had to be doing well. I was very, very young, but I made a name in real estate. And I looked over, and at the party sitting in a corner all by himself, nobody was talking to him, was Mr. Levitt.

He had just gone bankrupt, lost everything, he had lost everything, his home, everything. And I went over and talked to him because he was in the real estate business and I loved real estate, and I said, “Hello, Mr. Levitt, how are you?” He said, “Hello, Donald, it’s nice to meet you.” He knew me from being in the business.

I said, “Uh, so how’s it going?” He goes, “Not well. It’s really not going well, as you’ve probably read, it’s been a very, very tough period for me, son.” And I said, “So what happened? it’s just, anything you can do?” He goes, “No, there’s not a thing I can do.” He said, I’ll never forget, he said, “I’ve lost my momentum, I just didn’t have it. I used to have it but I lost my momentum.” So it’s a story I tell, and you have to know when you have the momentum, but sometimes you have to also know when you’ve lost the momentum and leaving a field, sometimes leaving what you’re doing sometimes is okay, but you gotta have momentum, but you have to know if that momentum’s gone, you have to know when to say it’s time to get out.

And it’s a very sad story, I remember that story so well like it was yesterday. Fifth, you have to have the courage to take risks and to do things differently. Eisenhower, again, was threatened with court martials as a young officer for advocating a new doctrine of tank warfare. Billy Mitchell was thrown out of the army for pioneering the use of air power.

They said, “What do you mean air power, don’t be ridiculous?” People willing to try and do things differently, it’s never gonna be easy for them, but they’re the ones that are gonna really do the important things, they’re the ones who are gonna make history. So don’t be ashamed and don’t be afraid, this is a time of incredible change and we do not need an officer Corps of careerists, and yes-men, and people that want to keep it going the way it’s been because it changes rapidly, especially what you’re doing.

Because believe it or not, you’re in a, a business and profession where things change as rapidly like warfare, the type of warfare. Unfortunately we’re getting to see it with Russia and Ukraine, and we’re studying it and it’s a very terrible thing to study. But we’re seeing the different forms of warfare.

We’re seeing the drones that are coming down at angles and with speed and with precision. We’ve never seen anything like it, we’ve never seen anything like it, and we’re learning from it, but your profession changes very rapidly, you’ve gotta keep, you’ve gotta be at the top of it, you’ve gotta be right at the head of the needle.

We need Patriots with guts, and vision, and backbone who take personal risks to ensure that America wins every single time, we wanna win our battles. You know, I defeated ISIS in three weeks. They told me it would take five years, and the general that did it, you know that story, was named Razin Caine. His name is Dan Caine, but his nickname was Razin Caine.

I said, “Your name is Razin Caine, I love that, is that a nickname?” “That’s what they call me, sir.” “I love you General, I think you’re the guy I am looking for, I want to know a guy named Razin Caine.” And he is now the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and he’s a highly respected man, and we defeated, think of it, ISIS, they said, they said, “How long in Washington?” “Sir, it will take four years to defeat them, maybe five, and maybe we won’t because they’re all over the place.” And then I met a man that said we can do it in three weeks, and he did it three weeks, and that’s, uh, why he’s the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff right now.

And, uh, we did things that nobody thought were possible. We’ve had great military success, when you have the right leader and you have the right people, and we have the right people, you’re gonna have tremendous succ- — success. Six, never lose your faith in America and the American people because they’re always gonna be there for you.

I went through a very tough time with some very radicalized sick people, and I say, I was investigated more than the great late Alphonse Capone. Alphonse Capone was a monster, he was a very hardened criminal. I went through more investigations than Alphonse Capone, and now I’m talking to you as president, can you believe this?

Can you believe it? So you gotta fight hard, and you gotta never give up and don’t let bad people take you down. You gotta let them, you gotta take them down. Got a lot of bad people out there and those people, you have to figure it out, but you also have a lot of great people. Finally, hold on to your culture and your traditions, because that’s what makes something really great, and that’s what’s made the army great, the culture and the tradition.

Whether we’re talking about a battalion, a business, a sports team, or even a nation, history has shown that in many ways culture is destiny. So do not let anyone destroy the culture of winning, you have to win. Winning is a beautiful thing, losing not for us, it’s not for us, not for anybody here. If it was, you wouldn’t be here.

From the earliest days of our nation, this supreme tradition of American military service has been passed down from soldier to soldier and generation to generation, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch. Graduating today is Cadet Ricky McMahon. Ricky’s great-grandfather, stand up wherever you are, Ricky, because you’re gonna like this.

Ricky’s great-grandfather served in World War I. His grandfather served in World War II, and his uncle, father and mother all graduated from West Point. Where is Ricky? In 2004, when Ricky was just a little, little tiny boy, who would think about that Ricky, a little tiny boy? His dad, Lieutenant Colonel Michael McMahon, made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation in Afghanistan.

Today, Lieutenant Colonel McMahon rests not far from here in the West Point Cemetery. Last year, two decades after losing his father, Ricky placed a gold chip from his dad’s 1985 class ring into a crucible along 87 other rings were with it of past West Point grads that were melted down to forge those now worn by the class of 2025. Do you all know that?

Do you know that, what you’re wearing? I want one. Ricky, I want one. Each of you will carry Michael’s memory with you always as you continue the legacy he gave you. It gave you something that would be so proud, he would be so proud, he is proud as he looks down. To Ricky and his mom, Jeanette, you embody what this place is all about, and I know Michael, he’s up there, he’s smiling broadly.

So proud. He’s so proud of you today, you know that. And, uh, he’s a man that couldn’t be, and he is a man that couldn’t be more proud. And I want to just, uh, I just love that story. And everybody’s ring, they’re gonna remember you, they’re gonna remember your family, and most importantly, you’re gonna remember a great tradition.

It’s a great tradition of West Point and of winners. Thank you very much. It’s great to meet you. Thank you. You can sit down. You want to come up? If you want to come up, come up. Come on up. Come on up here. That’s nice. A handsome guy. They’re all good-looking here. I don’t know what’s going on. Uh, whole crowd is beautiful. Thank you very much.

(Ricky McMahon speaks)

These are good-looking people, I’ll tell you General, what’s going on over [Inaudible]? Look like all a bunch of male models, I can’t stand it. (laughs) For two and a half centuries, our republic has endured because of heroes like Michael. They’ve laid down their lives for America, and because young people like all of you have picked up the banner of service and carried forward the flag of freedom from Lexington to Yorktown, from Gettysburg to Sicily, and from Inchon to Fallujah, America has been won and saved by an unbroken chain of soldiers and patriots who ran to the sound of the guns, leapt into the maw of battle and charged into the crucible of fire to seize the crown of victory no matter the odds, no matter the cost, no matter the danger.

All over the world, our soldiers have made sacred the ground where they shed their blood and showed their valor. From Seminary Ridge to San Juan Hill, Belleau Wood, Omaha Beach, Leyte Gulf, and Ardennes Forest, Chosin Reservoir, all over. And even a place called Pork Chop Hill. And in all of those battles and so many more, some of the best, brightest and bravest have come from right here at the US Military Academy at West Point, one of the great enabled places anywhere in the world.

America’s army has never failed us, and with leaders like the West Point class of 2025, the Army will never fail. We will never let you down. And over the last week, I had the honor of speaking to the heads of many countries and they would say, two weeks ago they say — The 8th, they said, “Sir, we’re celebrating the victory today of World War II.” And I said, “Wow, that’s nice.” Then I’d call another one, unrelated. “Sir, we’re celebrating the victory of World War II.” Then I called up President of France on something also unrelated.

He said, “Sir, we’re celebrating our victory over World War II.” I said, “Well, whoa. What have we here?” We help them a lot. And I- I had this Russia, I talked to Putin about ending that terrible war that’s going on. And he said they’re having a big victory march. And they did lose, in all fairness, 51 million people.

But they were all celebrating. The only country that wasn’t celebrating was the United States of America. And I said, isn’t it amazing? We were the ones that won the war. And we were helped. We were helped. In some cases we had to help them, but we were helped by some of the nations, and we were strongly helped by a couple of them.

But every one of them was celebrating. They had Victory Day, they called it Victory Day in Europe, Victory Day all over. And we weren’t even thought about, nobody had a Victory Day, and so I named that special day and another special day from now on as a holiday, but a holiday where we work because we don’t have enough days.

We’re going to be having so many holidays, we’re not going to be able to work anymore. But I named it for World War II, and a separate day in November, as you know, for World War I. I said, you know, all of these countries that participated in the war are celebrating, but the greatest country of them all, and the country that won the war, nobody even talked about.

And so, we’re going to be talking about it too from now on, and I think you’ll appreciate it. We won the First World War. We won the Second World War, and you know where we won them from? Right here at West Point. West Point won the war. You won two world wars, and plenty of other things, but you want to think of it. We don’t want to have a third world war, but we won the First World War.

We won the Second World War right here from West Point. And that’s something, and we’re gonna be talking about it. You know, they can talk about it, and in some cases, as you know, they didn’t do too much to help. They were ground down, but they were celebrating victory. No, we’re gonna celebrate victory because we’re the ones that won that war.

Standing before you today, I know that you will never stop. You will never quit. You will never yield. You will never tire. You will never, ever, ever surrender. Never give up. Remember that. Never give up. That’s another little factor I could have added. Never, ever give up. Raise your right hand. I pledge I will never, ever give up. You can never give up. You can never give up. If you do, you’re not gonna be successful because you’ll go through things that will be bad.

You’re gonna have great moments, you’re gonna have bad moments. You can never give up. Through every challenge and every battle, you’ll stand strong, you’ll work hard, you’ll stay tough, and you will fight, fight, fight, and win, win, win. So, I wanna just congratulate you all. I’m going back now to deal with Russia, to deal with China. What’s that- what’s that all about?

I- I said that to- that to get you lots of victories. So, we’re gonna keep winning. This country is gonna keep winning. And with you, the job is easy. I want to thank you all. Congratulations to the class of 2025. God bless you all. Incredible people. Thank you very much everybody.”

The post Transcript of Trump’s 2025 Speech at West Point Commencement first appeared on SJO Daily.

The following is a transcript from President Donld Trump’s May 26, 2025 Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery.

“Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Very special place and a very special day.

Thank you to Vice President Vance, doing a terrific job. Thanks also to a man who has devoted his life to service members and veterans, Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who’s doing really well. He went through a lot, didn’t he? But he’s doing really well. He’s a tough cookie. That’s what we want. He’s a tough cookie. And we’re grateful to be joined as well by Chairman Kaine, terrific military person. Members of the Cabinet, members of Congress, members of the United States Armed Forces, veterans, and many other distinguished guests. We gather today to honor the incredible service members who rest in glory in this cemetery and burial grounds around the world, and in 1000 lonely places known only to God.

In every Hour of peril, in every moment of crisis, American warriors have left behind the blessings of home and family to answer their nation’s call. They’ve offered all that they had within them and given their last breaths to each and every one of us that we might live safe and breathe free.  This morning, we pay tribute to their immortal deeds. 

We share in the sorrow of their beloved families. And as one nation, we give thanks for the ultimate gift they have so selflessly given to all of us. These warriors, and that’s what they are, is great, great warriors, picked up their mantle of duty and service, knowing that to live for others meant always that they might die for others. 

They knew that. They asked nothing for it, they gave everything, and we owe them everything and much, much more. Each of the service members who have made the supreme sacrifice for our nation has also left an unfillable void and an unbreakable silence in the lives of all who love them. For the families of the fallen, you feel the absence of your heroes every day. 

These are great families, these are wonderful families. An the familiar laugh no longer heard, the empty space at Sunday dinner, or the want of a hug or a pat on the back that will never come again. Every Gold Star family fights a battle long after the victory is won, and today we lift you up and we hold you high. 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for giving America the brightest light in your llives. It’s what you’ve done. We will never ever forget our fallen heroes, and we will never forget our debt to you. This Memorial day is especially significant as we commemorate 250 years since the first American patriots fell on the field of battle.

Two and a half centuries ago at Lexington Green, Concord Bridge, Bunker Hill, brave Minute Men and humble farm boys became the first to give their lives for a nation that did not yet have a name. With their deaths, men like John Brown, 23 Samuel Hadley, 28, and Abner Hausman, 21 ignited the flame of liberty that now lights the inspires everybody and the entire world. 

Those young men could never have known what their sacrifice would mean to us, but we certainly know what we owe to them. Their valor gave us the freest, greatest, and most noble republic ever to exist on the face of the earth, a republic that I am fixing 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 we’ll 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. In every generation since, at Trenton and Yorktown, at Vicksburg and Shiloh, and in far away places with names like Chateau-Thierry, Anzio Iwo Jima, Khe Sanh, Kandahar. A few, really, just a few chosen names, and these are names that have become so important on the altar of freedom. 

They plunged into the crucible of battle, stormed into the fires of hell, charged into the valley of death, and rose into the arms of angels. The sacrifice that they made was not merely for a single battle, a long-ago victory, or a fleeting triumph decades or centuries past. Their sacrifice was for today, tomorrow, and every morning thereafter. 

Every child that lives in peace, every home that is filled with joy and love, every day, the republic stands is only possible because of those who did what had to be done when duty called, and the cost was everything to them and to their families. Our debt to them is eternal, and it does not diminish with time. 

It only grows and grows and grows with each passing year. The greatest monument to their courage is not carved in marble or cast in bronze. It’s all around us, an American nation, 325 million strong, which will soon be greater than it has ever been before. It will be. And so today, we uphold the memory of our heroes, as people have done since ancient times, by telling their stories and exalting their names.

Senior Master Sergeant Elroy Harworth was a young, beautiful man from Earhart, Minnesota. When he enlisted in the Air Force and was sent to Vietnam. 59 years ago this very week, Ellroy and his crewmates climbed into the dark skies over Da Nang on a classified mission known as Operation Carolina Moon. Their aim was to blow up a key enemy bridge. 

And while other crews had tried and failed, they were determined to try and get it done in face of extreme danger, and they knew how bad it was. As their C-130 closed in on its target and Elroy jockeyed his 5000 pounds of explosives into position, the aircraft came under unbelievably intense fire. They had never seen anything like it. Try as they might, they were hit as the plane swung low, and they went down deep in enemy territory. 

Elroy was just 24 years old when he gave his life for America, leaving behind a beautiful young wife who was seven months pregnant. That meant Elroy would never know the joy of meeting his son Troy, or seeing him grow, and he would never have the pride to watch his son follow in his father’s footsteps and serve two decades in the US Army.

Sergeant First Class, Troy Harworth is with us Today, joined by his wife Sonya, and their son John, the grandson Elroy never got to hold. Thank you, Troy and thank you John, and above all, thank you Elroy. Thank you very much. Please stand up. Thank you. Wherever you may be. Thank you very much. Great family.

Corporal Ryan McGee of Fredericksburg, Virginia, knew from the time he saw the towers fall on 9/11,  that he wanted to be an Army Ranger. He was an American guy, all American. He was a tough guy. He was the top of everything in high school. He was captain of the football team and was voted friendliest and most charming by his peers.

Ryan joined the Army soon after graduation and after three tours in Afghanistan, he deployed to Iraq. He and his unit were tasked with hunting down a weapon facilitator and a suicide bomber cell near Baghdad, a vicious, vicious cell killing many, many people. 16 years ago this month, they engaged the enemy in a firefight, and Ryan was mortally wounded. 

He gave his life at 21 years old, and today he rests until the end of time in the famed section 60 here at Arlington, where we have buried our honored dead from the war on terror. We are joined today by Ryan’s mom, Sherrie. And Sherrie, all of America shares in your grief, and more importantly, we share in your pride and your wonderful son. 

And thank you so much for being here, Sherrie. Where is Sherrie? Thank you, Sherrie.

Thank you very much on behalf of everyone. This crowd is so big, she’s hard to find. Once I saw her, she really stands out. Thank you, Sherrie, thank you very much. 

Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, grew up in Pine Plains, New York, before enlisting in the Navy in 2003, and she quickly became one of the rising stars. She was an absolute winner. As a linguist, translator, and cryptologic technician. Shannon worked alongside Elite Special

Force units like Delta Force and Navy SEALs to help them capture and kill terrorists. She was among the first women ever to do it, and she did it better than anyone. In January 2019, Shannon was on her fifth combat deployment, embedded with a team hunting ISIS terrorists through the streets of Syria, when a suicide bomber detonated his weapon, killing Senior Chief Kent and three other wonderful, beautiful Americans.

She left behind her husband Joe and their two sons, three-year-old Colt and 18-month-old baby, Josh. Today, Shannon rests in peace on these grounds alongside her comrades. To her boys, Colt and Josh, who are here this morning now, age nine and seven, let me say your mom was a hero, and her love, her strength, and her spirit are always with us and always be with you. 

She loved her boys. To Joe the boys, Shannon’s parents, Mary and Steven, and her sister, Mariah, Shannon’s name will live forever in the Chronicles of true American patriots. I just want to thank you, and thank you so much for being here in honor of your magnificent family member. Stories like Shannon’s, Ryan’s and Elroy, remind us of the real meaning of the day. And I want to just say, please stand up wherever you may be, the boys. 

I want to see those boys. Where are you? Yeah, good-looking guys. Thank you very much for being here. All of you. Thank you so much. We should never forget, even for a moment, that freedom is a gift of the highest cost, and peace is one at the most precious price. These extraordinary American heroes and their immense and ultimate sacrifices, they offer only the faintest glimpse at the infinite grace we have received from all who laid down their lives for America over the past 250 years. 

We’re going to have a big, big celebration, as you know, 250 years. In some ways, I’m glad I missed that second term where it was because I wouldn’t be your president for that. Most important of all, in addition, we have the World Cup, and we have the Olympics. Can you imagine? I missed that four years, and now look what I have, I have everything. 

Amazing the way things work out. God did that. I believe that too. God did it. 

You know, I got the World Cup and I got the Olympics. The 250 years was not mine, I’d like to take credit. But I got the Olympics, I got the World Cup when I was president, and I said, boy, it’s too bad I won’t be president then, and look what happened. 

I, it turned out, and we’re going to have a great time. We’re going to have a great celebration. But most important of all is the 250th anniversary that blows everything away, including the World Cup and including the Olympics, as far as I’m concerned. In any corner of the cemetery, at any resting place for our war dead, anywhere on Earth, you’ll find untold stories of equal hero, heroism and heartbreak, unmatched patriotism and devotion, and acts of selflessness and courage.

So enormous they defy comprehension. Most people can’t even imagine it. Great poets have written that it’s love which moves the sun and the stars. But here on the sacred soil right where we are, we’re reminded that it’s love which moves the course of history and moves it always toward freedom. Always. From Bunker Hill to Bastogne to Cantonese to Coral Sea, from Gettysburg to Guadalcanal and Concord to Kabul, America’s best and America’s bravest have fought, bled and died so that we could pick up the torch of liberty, raise it high, high, high, and carry it onward to places they could never have dreamed of before.

Today, we honor their memory. We remember their gallantry. Review, just revere, in the highest sense we just revere their incredible legacy. We salute them in their eternal and everlasting

Glory. And we continue our relentless pursuit of America’s destiny as we make our nation stronger, prouder, freer, and greater than ever before. 

May God bless our fallen heroes. May God bless our Gold Star families, and may God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much, everybody. Great honor. Thank you.”

The post Transcript of Trump’s Memorial Day Speech May 26, 2025 first appeared on SJO Daily.