President Donald Trump gave the commencement speech to graduates at the University of Alabama on Thursday, and it exemplified why his MAGA base so adores him: He truly is the best spokesman for American greatness that our country has had in … maybe ever.
One of the songs from the Broadway hit Hamilton celebrates “being in the room where it happened.” Some moments simply carry more weight when you experience them live—more so than reading about them, watching online, or catching a replay later. President Trump’s special commencement address to the 2025 graduates was one of those moments. There was an energy, a sense of joy, and an optimism in that auditorium that can’t be fully captured on screen or in print.
Coleman Coliseum, which holds 15,383, was over three-quarters full Thursday—not only with students and families but also with dignitaries, faculty, and staff. Everyone—from administrators to graduates—wore full academic regalia, lending the occasion its proper pomp and circumstance. When legendary UA former football coach and G.O.A.T. Nick Saban introduced the president, he said: “It’s certainly an honor for me to be here and participate in this historic event, to be able to introduce President Trump to address the graduates you know here today. So, it’s a special moment for me. But I got to be honest: I feel like I’m the warm-up band for the Rolling Stones, and the first song in their set is, ‘You Can Start Me Up.’”
Saban then introduced the president to thunderous cheers that nearly drowned out “Hail to the Chief,” culminating in chants of “USA.” As the applause died down, someone shouted, “We love you, Trump!” It was clear: Alabama loves President Trump—and he loves Alabama right back. Trump greeted the audience, saying, “What a nice-looking group this is!” He then paid tribute to the University of Alabama, UA President Stephen Bell, Gov. Kay Ivey, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, and other Alabama Republican officials. Finally, he congratulated the 6,600 graduates—the largest class in UA history, declaring: “It’s going to be an even more promising tomorrow, I promise you that. You’re the first graduating class of ‘The Golden Age of America.’”
Trump praised the University of Alabama’s achievements and congratulated the student body on their success. He highlighted his administration’s accomplishments in its first 100 days and framed his address as passing America’s legacy to the next generation—a message the graduates received with genuine attention and enthusiasm, as only Trump, the best spokesman for America since the founding fathers, can deliver. Some of his pro-America remarks include:
— “You can have great success at a very young age[…] In America, with drive and ambition, young people can do anything.”
— “I rarely see somebody that’s successful that doesn’t love what he or she does.”
— “If you’re going to do something, you might as well think big. I know a lot of people, they’ve thought small, they were very smart. I know others that weren’t nearly as smart, but they had a better picture of the big picture, because it’s just as hard to solve a small problem as a big problem and it’s just as much energy and everything else, except the result is going to be a smaller one. So, love what you do and think big if it’s possible.”
— “Momentum is very important. You have to know when it’s your time. You have to know when your momentum time is up.”
— “Progress never comes from those satisfied with the failures of a broken system; it comes from those who want to fix the broken system. If you want to go to the top, you’re just never going to do it unless you break the system. […] You really do, you have to break the system a little bit and follow your own instincts. But if your vision is right, nothing will hold you down. Nothing. You have to have the right vision.”
— “Everybody should believe in the American Dream. It’s real, it’s there, and it’s right before you.”
— “Don’t consider yourself a victim. Consider yourself a winner. In recent years, too many of our young people have really been taught to think of themselves as victims and blame people and be angry. Don’t be angry. In America, we reject the idea that anyone is born a victim. Our heroes are the ones who take charge of their own destiny, make their own luck and determine their own fate. Despite the odds. Despite all odds.
“That’s what happens: They take, really, they give it as little chance in many cases… very little chance of success, and they become the most successful people in the world. Whether you were born rich or poor, Black or white, male or female, in America, anyone can be a winner, and our whole country will be cheering you on. And I’ll be at the front of the line cheering you on[.]”