Trump to speak at Alabama commencement, sparks outrage from College Democrats

President Donald J. Trump will deliver a spring commencement address to graduates at the University of Alabama (UA) on May 1. 

Following the announcement of the event, UA’s College Democrats issued a statement condemning the president and the planned speech. 

“UACD is shocked and disgusted to learn that our unpopular, divisive, and authoritarian president will be involved in commencement for the graduating class of 2025. This insult will not go unanswered,” UA College Democrats posted on social media. 

“UA is not a fascist playground,” the post continues. 

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In response to the statement, Alabama Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth wrote the following on X, calling the student organization’s behavior a “childish tantrum”: 

“The University of Alabama College Democrats have taken a page from the radical playbook we see used on liberal campuses in other states. Having the sitting President of the United States address your class at commencement is an honor. Their childish tantrum is tone deaf.”

In another post on X, Lt. Gov. Ainsworth said he is “honored to welcome” the president to UA, and said “it’s safe to say [President Trump] feels welcomed in Sweet Home Alabama.”

Generation Z political commentator and chair of the Republican National Committee’s Youth Advisory Council Brilyn Hollyhand also shared his enthusiasm to welcome President Trump to his state. 

“The President’s commitment to take time out of leading the Free World to speak to Alabama’s graduates is a testament to his priorities: encouraging the next generation of leaders!,” Hollyhand, a Tuscaloosa native, wrote on X. 

Alabama Sen. Katie Boyd Britt, a UA graduate, echoed the positive sentiment. 

“Thrilled @POTUS will deliver the 2025 commencement address at the University of Alabama. What a tremendous honor for my alma mater. Looking forward to a historic occasion for graduates and their families. Roll Tide!,” Sen. Britt wrote on X. 

The announcement of the president’s commencement speech was also met with criticism from a faculty member who referenced the detainment of a UA student by immigration authorities last month. 

“Inviting the man who detained one of our students without due process. Shameful,” A.J. Bauer, assistant professor in the UA Department of Journalism and Creative Media, wrote on X. 

Bauer’s comments reference doctoral student Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian citizen studying mechanical engineering, who was detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March, Alabama’s student-run newspaper The Crimson White reported. 

[RELATED: ICE arrests anti-Israel Columbia activist during citizenship application meeting]

President Trump’s Alabama address will be his eighth commencement speech as a sitting president. He delivered seven commencement speeches during his first term, USA Today reports.

The event will mark the first time a sitting president has given a commencement address at UA, WVTM13 reported. 

The president’s address will be his third visit to the Alabama campus during his time in office. He previously attended two football games at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The event will be ticketed, and “all spring graduates will have the opportunity to attend this distinct event in addition to their college-specific ceremonies,” UA stated in a press release. 

Campus Reform has contacted the University of Alabama for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.