Trump to address University of Alabama graduates
Trump's evening remarks in Tuscaloosa will be the Republican president's first address to graduates in his second term and will come as he has been celebrating the first 100 days of his administration.
The White House did not offer any details about Trump's planned message.
Alabama, where Trump won a commanding 64% of the vote in 2024, is where he has staged a number of his trademark large rallies over the past decade. It also is where Trump showed early signs of strength in his first presidential campaign when he began filling stadiums for his rallies.
While the White House has described Trump's speech as a commencement address, it is actually a special event that was created before graduation ceremonies that begin Friday. Graduating students have the option of attending the event, but it is not required.
Former Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban is also speaking at the event.
Trump's presence has drawn criticism from the Alabama NAACP and the University of Alabama College Democrats.
College Democrats are countering with their own rally calling it 'Tide Against Trump' — a play on the university's nickname. The event will feature onetime presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke of Texas and former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama.
The NAACP said Trump's policies are hurting universities and students, particularly students of color.
'The decision for students of color, and really all students, should be to skip his speech and spend that time reflecting on how to make America a more inclusive nation,' said Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP.
Trump's visit to Alabama is his second trip this week. He held a rally in Michigan on Tuesday to mark 100 days in office.
Outside of weekend trips for personal visits, the president has not made many official trips since taking office on Jan. 20. He usually speaks to the public from the impromptu news conferences he holds in the Oval Office and at other events at the White House.
After his stop in Alabama, Trump is scheduled to travel to Florida for a long weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Next month, he is scheduled to give the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Yikes': Critics Claim Trump Let Out Epic 'Freudian Slip' About Jeffrey Epstein
President Donald Trump on Monday denied ever visiting a private island belonging to late sex offender and his former friend Jeffrey Epstein. But Trump's critics are focusing on two unusual words he used when describing a potential trip to the infamous island: 'the privilege.' Trump was asked about why he kicked Epstein out of his private club some two decades ago, after the two had a falling out and before Epstein's first conviction in 2008. The president called it 'such old history' and said Epstein 'did something that was inappropriate.' The 'inappropriate' behavior was hiring some of Trump's staff. 'He stole people that work for me,' Trump said. 'I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He did it again, and I threw him out of the place. Person non grata. I threw him out, and that was it. I'm glad I did.' But then he added unprompted that he never visited Little Saint James, Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands and one alleged scene in his child sex trafficking operation. 'And by the way, I never went to the island,' Trump said, while accusing others of doing so. 'I've, I never had the privilege of going to his island.' The island is just one of the homes owned by Epstein; many of the abuse allegations the late financier was charged with took place in Palm Beach, Florida, as The Miami Herald reported in 2018. 'Authorities suspect that he molested hundreds of girls over a five- or six-year period in Palm Beach alone and possibly operated an international sex-trafficking organization around the world,' Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown told NPR. And it was the president's two words about the island that drew criticism on social media, with many shocked he would refer to 'the privilege' of visiting it while denying he had done so: They're calling it the most well handled freudian slip in history — Isaac (@GalaxyPeaBrain) July 28, 2025 'I never had the privilege of going to Epstein Island.' - TrumpYikes man. — Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) July 28, 2025 top 3 freudian slip in history? — brandon* (@brndxix) July 28, 2025 Let's get Trump's position on Epstein straight:> Going to the sex-trafficking island would have been a "privilege."> The REAL crime Epstein committed was poaching his man is a monster and a moron. — Adam Mockler🇺🇸🦅 (@adammocklerr) July 28, 2025 I'm so tired, dude. 🙃 If a serial killer Freudian slipped up like this during an FBI interview, they'd call it a confession. He can literally just say whatever he wants, and there will never ever ever ever be consequences. This is fucked up and weird, and nothing will happen. — 🎃☠️ Scarlet Whit🦇🕸 (@WhitneyPuppy) July 28, 2025 This guy sus as hell.. — Rep. Jimmy Gomez (@RepJimmyGomez) July 28, 2025 In this clip, Donald Trump says he 'never had the 'privilege' of going to Epstein Island.'NEVER HAD THE PRIVILEGE?WHAT? — Lucas Sanders 💙🗳️🌊💪🌈🚺🟧 (@LucasSa56947288) July 28, 2025 Today Trump said 'I never had the privilege of going to [Epstein's] island.' So now everyone should be looking into if/when Trump went to the can we all agree that the way Trump said this was beyond disturbing?Don't forget to subscribe: — Scott Dworkin (@funder) July 29, 2025 We live in a world where the sitting president can say 'I never had the PRIVILEGE of going to the evil ass pedophile super rape island' and nobody bats an eye — Wemby Central 👽 (@WembyCentral) July 28, 2025 'I never had the privilege of going to the island' and 'I turned it down' … are in direct conflict. Incredible that these are sentences come one after the not sure I'd call going to an island where crimes against children took place a 'privilege' — Brandon Richards 🐻 (@BrandonRichards) July 28, 2025 Trump on Epstein: I never went to the island. I never had the privilege of going to the island. I turned it — Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 28, 2025 The 'privilege'? — B.W. Carlin (@BaileyCarlin) July 28, 2025 "The privilege" is crazy. — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 28, 2025 'Privilege' — Static (@MightBeStatic) July 28, 2025 All the "best" words: In an insane moment, Donald Trump appears to lament with the most bizarre choice of words, saying "I never had the privilege of going to his island."He called a trip to Epstein's Island "a privilege." — Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) July 28, 2025
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Federal Reserve likely to stand pat on rates this week, deepening the gulf between Powell and Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve is expected to leave its short-term interest rate unchanged on Wednesday for the fifth straight meeting, a move that will likely underscore the deep divide between how Chair Jerome Powell and his chief critic, President Donald Trump, see the economy. The Fed itself, to be sure, is increasingly divided over its next steps, and many economists expect that two members of the Fed's governing board — both appointed by Trump — could dissent on Wednesday in favor of cutting rates. If so, that would be the first time two governors vote against the chair since 1993. Even so, the gap between the views of the Fed's interest-rate setting committee, chaired by Powell, and the White House is unusually large. In several areas, Trump's views sharply contrast with that of the Fed's leadership, setting up likely clashes for years to come, even after Powell's term as chair ends in May 2026. For example, Trump says that because the U.S. economy is doing well, the Fed should cut rates, as if the U.S. is a blue-chip company that should pay less to borrow than a risky start-up. But Fed officials — and nearly all economists — see it the other way: A solid economy means rates should be relatively high, to prevent overheating and a burst of inflation. 'I'd argue that our interest rates are higher because our economy's doing fairly well, not in spite of it,' said Gennadiy Goldberg, head of U.S. rates strategy at TD Securities. Trump argues that the Fed in general and Powell in particular are costing U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars in interest payments by not reducing borrowing costs. Yet Fed officials don't think it's their job to reduce rates the government pays on Treasury notes and bonds. Most economists worry that if they did, they would risk failing at one of the key jobs Congress gave them: fighting inflation. 'It's using monetary policy to ease pressure on fiscal policymakers, and that way points to higher inflation and bigger problems down the road," said William English, an economist at the Yale School of Management and former senior Fed staffer. If financial markets see that the Fed is focused on keeping borrowing costs low to help the government — rather than focusing on its congressionally-mandated goals of stable prices and maximum employment — Wall Street investors, worried about future inflation, will likely demand higher interest rates to hold Treasury bonds, economists say, pushing up borrowing costs across the economy. For his part, Trump says there is 'no inflation' and so the Fed should reduce its short-term rate, currently at about 4.3%, which was ramped up in 2022 and 2023 to fight rising prices. The Fed's rate often — but not always — influences longer-term borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans, and credit cards. Inflation has fallen sharply and as a result Fed officials have signaled they will cut rates by as much as a half-percentage point this year. Yet it has picked up a bit in the last two months and many of those policymakers, including Powell, still want to make sure that tariffs aren't going to lift inflation much higher before they make a move. Inflation accelerated to 2.7% in June from 2.4% in May, the government said earlier this month, above the Fed's 2% target. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose to 2.9% from 2.8%. Last week, Trump and several White House officials ramped up their attacks on Powell over rates. They also criticized the ballooning costs of the Fed's renovation of two of its buildings, raising questions over whether the president was looking to fire Powell for cause rather than policy differences. Trump and Powell engaged in an extraordinary on-camera confrontation over the cost of the project during Trump's visit to the building site last Thursday. On Monday, Trump was more restrained in his comments on the Fed during a joint appearance in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "I'm not going to say anything bad,' Trump said. 'We're doing so well, even without the rate cut.' But he added, 'a smart person would cut." Some economists expect that the Fed will reduce its key rate by a quarter-point in September, rather than July, and say that the two-month delay will make little difference to the economy. Yet beyond just the timing of the first cut, there is still a huge gulf between what Trump wants and what the Fed will even consider doing: Fed officials in June penciled in just two reductions this year and one in 2026. They forecast that their key rate will still be 3.6% at the end of next year. Trump is pushing them to cut it to just 1%. 'That's not going to happen with anything like the current people on the committee,' English said. Wall Street investors also expect relatively few cuts: Two this year and two in 2026, according to futures pricing tracked by CME's Fedwatch. According to the Fed's projections, just two officials in June supported three cuts this year, likely Trump's appointments from his first term: governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman. Waller gave a speech earlier this month supporting a rate reduction in July, but for a very different reason than Trump: He is worried the economy is faltering. 'The economy is still growing, but its momentum has slowed significantly, and the risks' of rising unemployment 'have increased,' Waller said. Waller has also emphasized that tariffs will create just a one-time bump in prices but won't lead to ongoing inflation. Yet most Fed officials see the job market as relatively healthy — with unemployment at a low 4.1% — and that as a result, they can take time to make sure that's how everything plays out. 'Continued overall solid economic conditions enable the Fed to take the time to carefully assess the wide range of incoming data,' said Susan Collins, president of the Boston Federal Reserve. 'Thus, in my view, an 'actively patient' approach to monetary policy remains appropriate at this time.' Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press
The Hill
5 minutes ago
- The Hill
Thailand and Cambodia dispute whether ceasefire is holding
SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Thailand and Cambodia disputed whether their ceasefire was holding Tuesday, the morning after they agreed to stop fighting in a deal reached in Malaysia under U.S. pressure. The Thai army said Cambodia launched attacks in multiple areas after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect at midnight, but Cambodia said there was no firing in any location. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai had agreed to an 'unconditional' halt in fighting Monday after five days of border clashes that have killed dozens of people and displaced tens of thousands. Along the border area, it was unclear if fighting was continuing but signs of calm returned in places. Some families displaced by the fighting began returning to their homes. A Thai military spokesperson said Thailand halted all military activities as agreed upon but that Cambodian troops continued strikes and the Thai army responded with defensive action. 'Such actions represent a deliberate violation of the ceasefire and a serious breach of trust,' Major Gen. Vithai Laithomya said in a statement. The Cambodian Defense Ministry denied the Thai account. 'After the ceasefire became effective, there has been no armed conflict on all front lines. This is the firm determination of the Cambodian leadership to implement the ceasefire,' ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said. Military commanders from both sides are scheduled Tuesday to hold their first meeting after the ceasefire as agreed under the pact, she said. The meeting between the two national leaders Monday was hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as annual chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and held under U.S. pressure. Anwar called the ceasefire a 'vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. applauded the ceasefire declaration. 'President (Donald) Trump and I are committed to an immediate cessation of violence and expect the governments of Cambodia and Thailand to fully honor their commitments to end this conflict,' Rubio said in a statement. The fighting began Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, which have killed 35 people and displaced 260,000 people on both sides. Trump had warned that the U.S. might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continue, giving both sides a face-saving justification for halting the clashes. The 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics.
