Former President Donald Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day to honor fallen American soldiers, delivering a speech that balanced traditional tributes with unexpected political commentary. Accompanied by Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump performed the customary wreath-laying ceremony before addressing the crowd.
While Trump acknowledged the sacrifice of service members with prepared remarks, stating “Those young men could never have known what their sacrifice would mean to us,” he frequently diverted into campaign-style rhetoric. His statement that he was “fixing” the republic “after a long and hard four years” introduced partisan politics into what is traditionally a solemn, apolitical ceremony.
The speech also included several self-referential comments, including Trump’s remarks about upcoming events like the World Cup and Olympics occurring during his term, which he attributed to divine intervention. Later the same day, Trump pardoned Scott Jenkins, a former Virginia sheriff convicted of conspiracy, fraud, and bribery in December 2024.