Trump honours veterans and fallen soldiers in Memorial Day ceremony

Published on 27/05/2025 - 0:55 GMT+2

A memorial was held successful Arlington, Virginia connected Memorial Day to honour fallen US troops and commemorate their sacrifice. The ceremonial was attended by US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The ceremonial was held astatine Arlington National Cemetery, wherever much than 400,000 people, galore of them soldiers, person been laid to rest.

Trump placed a wreath astatine nan Tomb of nan Unknown Soldier, a sombre contented for US presidents. The president paused aft placing nan wreath, past stepped backmost earlier being joined by Vance and Hegseth successful a salute.

The US president past delivered an reside wherever he called US troops “great, awesome warriors”, and singled retired respective families and relatives of precocious soldiers to show their stories.

“We conscionable revere their unthinkable legacy," Trump said. “We salute them successful their eternal and everlasting glory. And we proceed our relentless pursuit of America’s destiny arsenic we make our federation stronger, prouder, freer and greater than ever before.”

“Their valour," he said, “gave america nan freest, top and astir noble republic ever to beryllium connected nan look of nan earth. A republic that I americium fixing aft a agelong and difficult 4 years.”

He told nan communicative of Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, killed on pinch 3 different Americans by a termination bomber successful 2019 successful Syria, leaving down her husband, 3-year-old boy and 18-month-old son.

The New York autochthonal was connected her 5th deployment, embedded pinch a squad wherever she served arsenic a linguist, translator and cryptologic technician moving alongside typical forces successful a ngo targeted astatine hunting down Islamic State group militants.

“She was among nan first women ever to do it, and she did it amended than anyone,” Trump said, calling retired Kent's family for applause astatine nan ceremony.

It didn’t return agelong for nan reside to veer into authorities arsenic Trump took nan opportunity to criticise his predecessor Joe Biden, adding that his word arsenic president was 1 filled pinch errors and failures, which his management is moving connected fixing.

“A republic that I americium fixing aft a agelong and difficult 4 years. That was a difficult 4 years we went through,” said nan US president. “People pouring done our borders unchecked. People doing things that are indescribable and not for coming to discuss,” he added.

Though nan vacation is 1 that US presidents usually dainty pinch axenic solemnity, Trump began nan time pinch a fiery all-caps societal media station connected his societal media platform, Truth Social, aimed astatine Biden.

“SCUM THAT SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY."

Meanwhile, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola besides attended nan ceremony. In a station connected X, Metsola besides paid her respects to fallen US soldiers, acknowledging their sacrifice for Europe and expressing her gratitude.

“On Memorial Day, we honour nan courageousness of each nan fallen heroes whose sacrifice meant bid and state successful Europe,” said Metsola “Europe is everlastingly grateful. We retrieve them. We honour them.”