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President Donald Trump will serve as the commencement speaker at both the University of Alabama and the United States Military Academy, he announced on Truth Social.
“I have agreed to do the Commencement Address at two really GREAT places … Stay tuned for times and dates!!!” he wrote.
Delivering a commencement address at one of the nation’s five military academies is a common activity for a president; in fact, Trump spoke at West Point in 2020, during his first term.
But speaking at a state institution—even in a state, like Alabama, that has a strong base of presidential supporters—is rarer.
Some Alabama students quickly registered their disapproval.
“I am ashamed of my university,” graduate student Katie Bennett told AL.com, which noted that Alabama doesn't typically feature graduation speakers.
Trump will speak the Thursday before commencement weekend at a ticketed event open to all members of the Class of 2025, according to a statement from the university.
“The University of Alabama is honored to have been selected as one of the universities President Donald J. Trump will visit to deliver a spring commencement address,” it read.
Alabama’s elected officials celebrated the news.
Republican governor Kay Ivey took to X , calling Trump’s commitment “a historic occasion,” AL.com reported.
“What an incredible opportunity to hear from the President of the United States! Thank you, @POTUS, for making this happen for our students,” she said.
Alabama senator Katie Britt, an alumna of the flagship institution, and Rep. Robert Aderholt, whose district includes Tuscaloosa, where the university is located, also applauded the president’s decision.
Alabama’s graduation is scheduled for May 3–4 and West Point’s is May 24.
