Trump Delivers Commencement Speech at Liberty University

Donald Trump made his first commencement speech as president at Liberty University, a non-profit Christian college, in Virginia on Saturday, where he received a warm welcome by the 50,000 attendees — a record crowd for the university.

“Be totally unafraid to challenge entrenched interests and failed power structures,” Trump said to the crowd of graduates, some of which were wearing “Make America Great Again” hats. “Does that sound familiar, by the way?”

Trump, who is known for often ad-libbing what’s written on the teleprompter, stuck mostly to his script and didn’t bring up the recent dismissal of F.B.I. Director James Comey.

“Relish the opportunity to be an outsider,” he continued in his address. “Embrace that label. Being an outsider is fine. Embrace the label, because it’s the outsiders who change the world and who make a real and lasting difference. The more that a broken system tells you that you’re wrong, the more certain you should be that you must keep pushing ahead.”

Trump is the second sitting president who has delivered a commencement speech at the Christian school, after George H.W. Bush, who spoke in 1990.

Former Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush all gave their first commencement addresses as president at the University of Notre Dame. This year, Mike Pence will become the first vice president to speak at the Roman Catholic school’s graduation. Notre Dame spokesman Paul Browne refused to mention whether or not Trump had been invited to the commencement ceremony.

Jerry Fallwell Jr., president of  Liberty University, was a supporter of Trump throughout his campaign, even aiding in his defense when Trump was accused of sexual harassment. He praised him for being “a successful executive and entrepreneur, a wonderful father and a man who I believe can lead our country to greatness again.” Fallwell has recently described him as a “dream president for evangelicals.”

“In America, we don’t worship government, we worship God,” Trump said, reflecting on his Christian faith.

The theme of Christianity continued throughout his speech. He also pushed the notion that the U.S. is a Christian nation, pointing out that elected officials are sworn-in on Bibles.

“We all bleed the same blood of patriots, we all salute the same, great American flag, and we are all made by the same almighty God,” he said.

Trump also urged the graduates to “never give up” and that “nothing worth doing ever, ever, ever came easy.”

“Following your convictions means you must be willing to face criticism from those who lack the same courage to do what is right,” he said. “And they know what is right, but they don’t have the courage or the guts or the stamina to take it and to do it.”

Featured Image via Flickr/Taber Andrew Bain