The President: Thank you, and congratulations to the
Class of 2017.
Great job.
And, General Kelly, I want to thank you for your
leadership as the Coast Guard's Service Secretary.
You've really been something very, very
special to us as a country, and to me
and our administration.
You've done throughout your entire life an
incredible job defending your country.
Thank you very much, John.
(Applause.)
And John and all of his folks are also doing
an incredible job protecting our homeland
and our border.
And I'm thrilled that my first address to the
Service Academy is the graduation ceremony for
the United States Coast Guard.
Believe me, it's a great honor.
(Applause.)
I've been here before and it's a very,
very special place.
Every cadet graduating today, as your
Commander-in-Chief, it is truly my honor to
welcome you aboard.
(Applause.)
And you should take a moment to celebrate
this incredible achievement.
Governor Malloy, thank you for being here.
Governor, thank you.
We're glad you could join us.
And I know how busy the governors are nowadays,
and they're out there fighting.
It's never easy.
Budgets are a little tight, but we're doing a
job, all of us are doing a job, working together.
I want to also thank Admiral Zookunft
and his leadership.
His leadership has been amazing.
Today's graduates will be fortunate to serve under
such capable and experienced Commandant.
He really is fantastic.
Thanks also to Admiral Rendon, the
Academy Superintendent.
Admiral, I understand you come from a true
Coast Guard family.
Two brothers, a nephew, a cousin have all passed
through these halls.
That's very impressive.
I guess you like the place, right?
(Applause.)
Somebody in your family has been doing something right,
I can tell you that.
I'm sure they all are very proud, just as we are very
proud of the fine young officers who are
graduating today, Admiral, on your watch.
I would also like to take this opportunity to
express our appreciation to all of the parents and
the grandparents and family members who have
supported these amazing graduates.
Give your parents and everyone a hand.
Come on.
(Applause.)
Because America has families like yours,
and we'll keep all of those families safe and
very, very secure.
You're keeping your families safe now.
If you are not already, you're about to become
military families.
So, starting today, I hope you feel the full
gratitude of our nation.
These fine young cadets are about to take their
rightful place on the front line of defense for
the United States of America.
Cadets, you deserve not only the congratulations
but the gratitude of each and every American, and we
all salute you.
(Applause.)
A proud nation.
And you're a part of a very, very proud nation
which salutes the 195 199 cadets of the Coast Guard
Academy Class of 2017.
Good job.
(Applause.)
And I understand from the
admirals that this has been a very special class.
You've been trained here to handle the toughest of
situations, the hardest of moments really that you
can experience, and the hardest in people's lives,
and to help the weak in their hour of need.
But even for the Coast Guard, this class has been
exceptionally dedicated to public service.
You served breakfast at the local food bank
every single weekday.
You rebuilt a home with Habitat for Humanity.
Last year, you led cadets in donating a total of
24,000 hours -- a lot of time -- to
community service.
You've done amazing work.
And in the true Coast Guard fashion, you had
fewer people and fewer resources, but you
accomplished the objectives, and you did it
with skill and with pride -- and, I'd like to say,
under budget and ahead of schedule.
We're doing a lot of that now in the United
States government.
(Applause.)
We're doing a lot of that.
I won't talk about how much I saved you on the
F-35 fighter jet.
I won't even talk about it.
Or how much we're about to save you on the Gerald
Ford, the aircraft carrier.
That had a little bit of an overrun problem before
I got here, you know that.
Still going to have an overrun problem.
We came in when it was finished.
But we're going to save some good money.
And when we build the new aircraft carriers they're
going to be built under budget and ahead of
schedule, just remember that.
(Applause.)
That will allow us to build more.
Now, of course, there are always a few slip-ups from
time to time -- you know that.
For example, I understand that once or twice, First
Class Cadet Bruce Kim -- where's Bruce?
(Applause.)
Where's Bruce?
Oh, Bruce, how do you do this to yourself, Bruce?
(Laughter.)
As Regimental Parking Officer, might
have accidentally caused a few tickets to be issued
or a few of your cars to be booted.
Bruce, what's going on with you?
(Laughter.)
But, Cadets, from this day forward, we
want everyone to have a clean slate in life.
That includes Bruce, right?
(Laughter.)
And so, for any oversights or small
violations that might have occurred this year, as
tradition demands, I hereby absolve every cadet
serving restrictions for minor offenses.
Now, Bruce -- stand up once again, Bruce.
(Laughter.)
They saved you, Bruce, because they
all wanted me to do that, okay?
Thank you, Bruce.
Congratulations, Bruce.
(Applause.)
Good job.
By the way, Bruce, don't worry about it.
That's the tradition.
I was forced to do that.
You know that.
Don't worry.
(Laughter.)
This is truly an amazing group of cadets
that are here today for commission.
You could have gone to school anywhere you wanted
-- and with very, very few responsibilities
by comparison.
Instead, you chose the path of service.
You chose hard work, high standards, and a very
noble mission -- to save lives, defend the
homeland, and protect America's interests
around the world.
You chose the Coast Guard.
Good choice.
(Applause.)
You've learned skills they don't
teach at other schools right here on the grounds
of this academy and also on your larger campus --
the open sea.
That is a large, large campus, isn't it?
A beautiful campus.
But the greatest lesson you've learned at this
proud institution is the knowledge you've learned
about yourself.
It's the knowledge that each and every one of you
is something very special -- you are leaders.
From the first stormy days of your Swab Summer to
your final weeks as a first class cadet, you
have been expected to take responsibility, to make
decisions, and to act.
And I -- like all leaders, that's exactly
what you have to do.
You have to act, and you have to act properly.
And you have to learn how to act under great,
great pressure.
You're all going to be under great pressure.
You have to learn how to respond and to act
under great pressure.
Just days from now, you will put this vital skill
into the service of your ships, your sectors,
and your country.
You'll serve as deck watch officers on our amazing
Coast Guard cutters.
You'll bring law and order to the dangerous waters
as boating officers.
You will block illegal shipments of cash,
weapons and drugs.
You will battle the scourge of human
trafficking -- something that people haven't
been talking about.
One of the big, big plagues of the world.
Not our country only -- the world.
Human trafficking.
Americans will place their trust in your leadership,
just as they have trusted in generations of Coast
Guard men and women, with respect for your skill,
with awe at your courage, and with the knowledge
that you will always be ready.
You are Always Ready.
Not only will our citizens trust in your leadership,
your commanders will trust you as well.
The Coast Guard is the gold standard in
delegating decision-making down to chain command.
So just as your instructors have at the
academy, your Coast Guard commanders will explain
their vision, and then they will trust you
to get the job done.
Just like I, as your President, will also trust
you to get the job done.
It's amazing to think of the adventures that are
about to begin for you.
Across the country this month, millions of other
students are graduating high school, college.
Many others are wondering, just what am I going to do.
They're saying to themselves, what are they
going to do.
You know what you're going to do.
Many, many students are graduating from
college right now.
They're saying, what am I going to do?
Where am I going to go to work?
You know it.
You picked a good one, by the way.
You picked a beautiful one, a good one, and we're
really proud to have you, I can tell you.
(Applause.)
Years from now, some of them may look back and
ask themselves whether they've made the
right choice, whether they've made the most of
the opportunities they've been given.
In the Coast Guard, you will face many challenges
and many threats, but one thing you will never have
to face is that question of what will I do.
When you look back, you won't doubt.
You know exactly how you spent your time --
saving lives.
I look at your admirals, I look at General Kelly, I
look at some of the great people in service, and I
want to tell you, they're excited about life.
They love what they do.
They love the country.
They love protecting our country, and they love
what they do.
Is that right?
Good.
I didn't think anyone was going to say no.
(Laughter.)
That would have ruined our speech, right?
(Laughter.)
They're great people.
You always know just what you'll be: the leaders and
officers of the United States Coast Guard.
(Applause.)
And when they see your uniform, everyone
in the world will know exactly what that means.
What standard -- and really if you think of it,
when you talk about the great sailors, and the
great sailors of the world, we have them.
But what stranded sailor doesn't feel relief when
those red racing stripes break the horizon?
What drifting soul at sea, with only a short time
left to live, doesn't rejoice at the sound of
those chopper blades overhead, coming back and
coming down to rescue them from death?
What poison-peddling drug runner, the scourge of our
country, doesn't tremble with fear when the might
of the Coast Guard comes bearing down on them?
In each case, we know the reason --America's
lifesaving service is on the way.
The Coast Guard is truly vital to the United States
Armed Forces and truly vital to our great country.
(Applause.)
Out of the five branches of our Armed
Services, it's only the Coast Guard that has the
power to break through 21 feet of rock-solid
Arctic ice, right?
You're the only ones.
And I'm proud to say that under my administration,
as you just heard, we will be building the first new
heavy icebreakers the United States has seen in
over 40 years.
We're going to build many of them.
(Applause.)
We need them.
The Coast Guard stands watch at our ports,
patrols our waterways, and protects
our infrastructure.
You defend America in a world of massive and very
grave threats.
Soon, some of you will be leading boardings of
suspicious vessels, searching for the most
deadly weapons, and detaining criminals to
keep our people safe.
Others of you will work with partners in scores of
countries around the globe, bringing in the
full power of the United States Coast Guard right
up to those distant shores.
And some of those shores are very far away.
To secure our borders from drug cartels, human
smugglers, and terrorist threats, Coast Guard
Cutters patrol more than 1,500 miles below our
southern border.
A lot of people didn't know that.
When enormous pride hits your heart, you realize
that it's with this great skill and tremendous
speed, our Coast Guard men and women interdict
dangerous criminals and billions and billions of
dollars' worth of illegal
narcotics every single year.
Your helicopters launch from the decks of
world-class national security cutters, and they
chase drug smugglers at speeds far in
excess of 50 knots.
In rough seas, at high speeds, our incredible
Coast Guard snipers take their aim at the
smugglers' engines.
And time after time, they take out the motors
on the first shot.
They don't like wasting the bullets, right?
(Applause.)
They actually don't.
Your slice through roaring storms, and through
pouring rain and crashing waves is a place where few
other people will ever venture -- exciting.
Exciting.
But you have to have it in your heart.
You have to love it.
You love it.
In the Coast Guard, you don't run from danger,
you chase it.
And you are deployed in support of operations in
theaters of conflict all around the world.
But not only do you defend American security, you
also protect American prosperity.
It's a mission that goes back to the earliest days
of the Revenue Cutter Service.
You've read about that and studied that.
Today, the Coast Guard helps keep our waters open
for Americans to do business.
It keeps our rivers flowing with commerce.
And it keeps our ports churning with
American exports.
You help billions and billions of dollars in
goods to navigate our country every day.
You are the only federal presence on our
inland waterways.
You police the arteries we need to rebuild this
country and to bring prosperity back
to our heartland.
And we are becoming very, very prosperous again.
You can see that.
Think of the glorious mission that awaits.
You will secure our harbors, our waterways,
and our borders.
You will partner with our allies to advance our
security interests at home and abroad.
And you will pursue the terrorists, you will stop
the drug smugglers, and you will seek to keep out
all who would do harm to our country -- all who can
never, ever love our country.
Together, we have the same mission, and your devotion
and dedication makes me truly proud to be your
Commander-in-Chief.
(Applause.)
Thank you.
Now, I want to take this opportunity to give you
some advice.
Over the course of your life, you will find that
things are not always fair.
You will find that things happen to you that you do
not deserve and that are not always warranted.
But you have to put your head down and fight,
fight, fight.
Never, ever, ever give up.
Things will work out just fine.
Look at the way I've been treated lately --
(laughter)
-- especially by the media.
No politician in history -- and I say this with
great surety -- has been treated worse
or more unfairly.
You can't let them get you down.
You can't let the critics and the naysayers get in
the way of your dreams.
(Applause.)
I guess that's why I -- thank you.
I guess that's why we won.
Adversity makes you stronger.
Don't give in.
Don't back down.
And never stop doing what you know is right.
Nothing worth doing ever, ever, ever came easy.
And the more righteous your right, the more
opposition that you will face.
I've accomplished a tremendous amount in a
very short time as President.
Jobs pouring back in to our country.
A brand-new Supreme Court justice -- who's going to
be fantastic for 45 years --
(applause)
-- a historic investment in our military.
Border crossings -- thank you to our General -- are
down more than 70 percent in just a short period of
time -- a total record, by the way, by a lot.
(Applause.)
We've saved the Second Amendment,
expanded service for our veterans -- we are going
to take care of our veterans like they've
never been taken care of before.
(Applause.)
I've loosened up the strangling
environmental chains wrapped around our country
and our economy, chains so tight that you couldn't do
anything -- that jobs were going down.
We were losing business.
We're loosening it up.
We've begun plans and preparations for the
border wall, which is going along very,
very well.
We're working on major tax cuts for all.
We are going to give you the largest tax cut in the
history of our country if we get it the way we want
it, and we're going to give you major tax reform.
(Applause.)
And we're also getting closer and closer,
day by day, to great healthcare for our citizens.
(Applause.)
And we are setting the stage right
now for many, many more things to come.
And the people understand what I'm doing, and that's
the most important thing.
I didn't get elected to serve the Washington media
or special interests.
I got elected to serve the forgotten men and women of
our country, and that's what I'm doing.
(Applause.)
I will never stop fighting for you, and
I will never stop fighting for the American people.
As you leave this academy to embark on your exciting
new voyage, I am heading on a very crucial
journey as well.
In a few days, I will make my first trip
abroad as President.
With the safety, security, and interests of the
American people as my priority, I will
strengthen old friendships and will seek new partners
-- but partners who also help us.
Not partners who take and take and take, partners
who help, and partners who help pay for whatever we
are doing and all of the good we're doing for them
-- which is something that a lot of people have not
gotten used to and they just can't get used to it.
I say, get used to it, folks.
(Applause.)
I'll ask them to unite for a future of
peace and opposition opportunity for our
peoples and the peoples of the world.
First, in Saudi Arabia, where I'll speak with
Muslim leaders and challenge them to fight
hatred and extremism, and embrace a peaceful
future for their faith.
And they're looking very much forward to hearing
what we -- as your representative --
we have to say.
We have to stop radical Islamic terrorism.
(Applause.)
Then in Israel, I'll reaffirm our unbreakable
alliance with the Jewish state.
In Rome, I will talk with Pope Francis about the
contributions of Christian teachings to the world.
Finally, I'll attend the NATO Summit in Brussels
and the G7 in Sicily -- to promote security,
prosperity and peace all over the world.
I'll meet scores of leader, and honor the
holiest sites of these three great religions.
And everywhere I go, I will carry the inspiration
I take from you each day, from your courage and
determination to do whatever is required save
and protect American lives.
Save and protect American lives.
We want security.
You're going to give us security.
(Applause.)
In just one example, we see how
priceless that gift of life is to the people
you touch every day.
A few years ago, a Coast Guard helicopter and
rescue swimmer took off in the direction of three
terrified fishermen who clung to their sinking and
burning vessel.
That day, our Coast Guard heroes did their jobs well.
They flew over the sea, despite tremendous danger,
and extended a helping hand at the moment it was
most urgently needed.
There was very little time left.
But that's not the most remarkable part of that story.
As one Coast Guard swimmer put it, you do that stuff
all the time.
You do it every hour of the day.
Something is happening all the time with the United
States Coast Guard.
You do an amazing job.
A remarkable thing happened with that rescue,
but when you think of it, you do those rescues
all the time.
There, the Vietnamese fishing captain grabbed
the swimmer's hand.
He looked his Coast Guard rescuer in the eye, and
said: "I was asking God to please let me live....I
need to see my kids.
Please, God, please, let me live so that
I can see my kids.
Then God sent me you."
That's what he said.
(Applause.)
To every new officer, and to every new
Coast Guard member here today, or out protecting
life around the world on some of the roughest
waters anywhere, you truly are doing God's work.
What a grateful heart you must all have.
Because it is with my very grateful heart, and
America's cheers for the Coast Guard -- and America
cheers for you often -- but we wish you good luck.
As your Commander-in-Chief, I
thank you.
I salute you.
And I, once again, congratulate the Coast
Guard Class of 2017.
(Applause.)
God bless you.
God bless the Coast Guard.
And God bless the United States of America.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
(Applause.)
Thank you very much.
Thank you, everybody.
Great honor.
Good luck.
Enjoy your life.
(Applause.)