“A Republic That I Am Fixing”: Trump Mixes Memorial Day Tribute with Political Swipe at Biden

Donald Trump delivered a Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery that began with a solemn tribute but quickly veered into political commentary, including a pointed jab at Joe Biden.

Trump opened by recognizing the historical significance of the holiday and the enduring legacy of those who have died in service to the United States. “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 minutemen and humble farm boys became the first to give their lives for a nation that did not yet have a name,” he said.

He continued by honoring individual early patriots, saying, “With their deaths, men like John Vrown, 23, Samuel Hadley, 28, and Abner Hosmer, 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.”

However, just minutes into the speech, Trump shifted tone, using the occasion to criticize Biden’s administration. “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,” Trump said, referencing Biden’s presidency without naming him directly.

He went on to describe recent years as a time of turmoil: “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.”

Despite the criticism, Trump struck an optimistic note about the country’s future, saying, “We’re doing so very well right now, considering the circumstances, and will 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.”

He concluded by recalling generations of American military sacrifice: “In every generation since at Trenton and Yorktown, at Vicksburg and Shiloh, and in faraway places with names like Château-Thierry, Anzio, Iwo Jima, Khe Sanh, Kandahar, really just a few chosen names, and these are names that have become so important on the altar of freedom.”