(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump marked Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and delivering a thank-you to fallen soldiers and their families.
“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.”
Echoing a social media post he made early Monday morning, Trump turned the typically somber Memorial Day address into a message of criticism for the previous administration, calling America a “Republic that I am fixing after a long and hard four years.”
He criticized Biden’s handling of the southern border before promising, “We will do better than we’ve ever done as a nation, better than ever before.”
Trump’s remarks came after a social media post wherein he wished Americans a “happy Memorial Day,” including what he referred to as the “scum” who spent the last four years “trying to destroy our country.”
He went on to slam judges who have ruled against his policies and the Biden administration’s handling of the border, saying in part: “Hopefully the United States Supreme Court, and other good and compassionate judges throughout the land, will save us from the decisions of the monsters who want our country to go to hell.”
Trump lays wreath on Tomb of Unknown Soldier
Trump, flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Dan Caine, on Monday observed a moment of silence outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which holds the remains of an unidentified World War I soldier.
The party took turns speaking at the cemetery’s amphitheater about the holiday.
“We gather here to honor our very best, gone in their youth. To properly do so, we understand who they are and what they fought for. It is our simple duty to them,” Hegseth said.
Vance told Gold Star families their loved ones are heroes, praised the sacrifices of troops and emphasized war must be cautioned against.
“They laid down their lives for Americans they would never meet, for generations yet unborn, for a nation that would not exist absent their incredible courage,” Vance said.
In a proclamation issued Saturday, the White House requested government officials and citizens alike fly flags at half-staff for the “sacred day of remembrance, reverence, and gratitude for the brave patriots.”
Wishing “Happy Memorial Day” is considered verboten because the holiday is regarded as a solemn day to honor soldiers killed in service.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.