President Donald Trump said Tuesday, Veterans Day, that “America stands tall” because her “veterans stood so strong” after a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Trump delivered remarks from the amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, a short drive from the White House.
“Generation after generation, America’s warriors have left behind the comforts of home and family to face violence, evil, and death, so that our families could know joy, goodness, and peace. We honor them so strongly,” the president said.
“Our heroes have lived through unthinkable nightmares so we could live the American dream, and the American Dream is coming back again, stronger than ever before, and you’ll see that as the next few years evolve,” he added.
He then noted that America has flourished for a quarter millennium because of the strength of her veterans.
“They have volunteered to give their last breaths to all of us so that we could breathe free. And today, we know without any doubt in our hearts that after two and a half centuries, America stands tall because America’s veterans stood so strong,” he said.
Trump also highlighted the multitude of ways his administration has worked on behalf of veterans since returning to office, including processing 3 million Veterans Affairs (VA) claims that were backlogged, adding over 1 million extra service hours across VA centers, and opening 20 more facilities in more than a dozen states around the country.
“We also have brought back VA choice and VA accountability taken away by the Biden administration, so that when you have to wait online, you go out and you get yourself a doctor; we pay for the doctor,” Trump noted.
Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and U.S. Trade Ambassador Jameson Greer were among the officials who joined Trump at Arlington National Cemetery.
