Trump Politicizes Coast Guard Graduation Into Biden Attack Rally
President Donald Trump used a U.S. Coast Guard Academy commencement ceremony in New London, Connecticut on Wednesday to deliver campaign-style attacks on the Biden administration rather than address the graduating class. Trump devoted significant time to criticizing Biden’s border policies, economy, and immigration record, stating “We can never forget the sins of what they did to our country” while claiming his administration deported 11,888 murderers and prevented illegal entry during an 11-month period.
Trump made unsubstantiated economic claims during the ceremony, asserting his administration achieved “the lowest amount of murders since 1900” and that the U.S. received “$18 trillion” in new investments compared to Biden’s “$1 trillion” over four years. He also stated “not one illegal alien was able to get into our country” during an 11-month stretch, contradicting documented border crossing data. Trump has a history of making false claims during military academy addresses, including taking credit for defense spending increases and military ship production.
The president praised his use of tariffs, claiming the “fake news” misrepresented his earlier statement that “tariff” was his favorite word, when he ranked it fifth instead. Trump’s use of a military graduation ceremony as a political platform to attack a predecessor conflicts with the traditional nonpartisan nature of such events, converting an official ceremony into a direct campaign rally.
Trump emphasized his immigration policies by stating newcomers “have to come in legally” and “have to love our country,” framing immigration enforcement as the administration’s central accomplishment. He contrasted his record with Biden’s tenure, claiming the American Dream had been absent during the previous four years and was now restored under his leadership.