Trump Pays Tribute at Arlington After Fiery Memorial Day Message Targeting Rivals

President Donald Trump marked Memorial Day with a solemn visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, just hours after drawing widespread criticism for a combative social media post in which he lashed out at political opponents, federal judges, and President Joe Biden.

In a morning post on Truth Social, Trump referred to his critics and perceived enemies as “scum” and accused members of the federal judiciary of being “USA hating” and “monsters.” The all-caps message, shared before 7 a.m. ET, also branded President Biden as “incompetent,” linking him to a rise in illegal immigration and alleged judicial obstruction of Trump’s immigration policies.

“Happy Memorial Day to all, including the scum that spent the last four years trying to destroy our country,” Trump wrote in the post, which he later deleted and reposted with minor grammaticalchanges.

Despite the jarring tone of his online remarks, Trump appeared at Arlington National Cemetery later in the day to pay tribute to fallen U.S. service members. Memorial Day, a holiday set aside to honor those who died in military service, is typically observed with solemn reflection, and it is generally considered inappropriate to politicize the occasion or offer cheerful greetings.

Trump's Memorial Day message followed a weekend speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he delivered a politically charged commencement address. Wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat, he touted his previous election victory and repeated grievances about investigations targeting him. He also encouraged graduates to reject military “woke” initiatives, vowing to return the armed forces to a mission of strength and dominance.

“The job of the U.S. armed forces is not to host drag shows,” Trump said during the address. “The military’s job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America, anywhere, anytime, and any place.”

This is not the first time Trump has used Memorial Day or other military-themed events to deliver partisan messages. In 2018, while still president, he tweeted that those who died for the country “would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today.” More recently, in 2024, he drew a rebuke from the U.S. Army for filming a campaign video at Arlington, with military officials citing prohibitions on political activity at the national cemetery.

Monday’s combination of tribute and tirade once again spotlighted Trump’s unique approach to public memorials and his ongoing efforts to blend political messaging with traditionally apolitical national events.