From elected officials to a real estate developer with a “trophy wife,” President Donald Trump name dropped dozens of people while offering advice during his more than hour-long speech Thursday to University of Alabama graduates.
Trump began his speech giving thanks, first to legendary former Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban, who introduced the president at Coleman Coliseum.
“He’s done such a fantastic job. What a great coach. Let’s bring him back! Well, you got a good coach right now, though,” Trump said, referring to Saban’s successor, Kalen DeBoer.
Trump moved on to UA President Stuart Bell, who is retiring.
“I want to thank President Bell for his 10 years of distinguished service. Highly respected gentleman. But 10 years of service to this great university, overseeing the education of 100,000 proud Alabama graduates …," Trump said.
The president then searched the crowd for Gov. Kay Ivey.
“She’s a fantastic – where is she? She’s around here someplace. She’s here. I just took a picture," Trump said. “I said, ‘you’re doing a great job,’” Trump said.
“Along with the very wonderful man, a friend of mine, Sen. Tommy Tuberville,” the president continued.
Trump then told the crowd of a conversation he had with Tuberville, the former Auburn University football coach and then a candidate for U.S. Senate.
“When he wanted to run for the Senate, I said, ‘well, you beat Alabama six times in a row. How can you run for the Senate?’ ‘he said, ‘well, I was responsible for them getting Nick Saban.’ I said, ‘well, that’s a good reason,’” Trump recalled. “And he won, very easily.”
While some U.S. House members from outside Alabama joined Trump for the event, the president also singled out Alabama U.S. Reps. Gary Palmer, R-Hoover and Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, before moving on to state elected officials.
He even mentioned Michigan Republican U.S. Rep. Lisa Carmella McClain
“Along with Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen,” Trump said, are “great people.”
Also receiving shout-outs were “Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, [University of Alabama] Chancellor Sid Trant” and the board of trustees.
“And most importantly – they would agree with this – lets give a big round of applause to your incredible parents, grandparents and family members. Because they made this wonderful day possible," Trump said.
The president also singled out the “legends” whose greatness contributed to Alabama football: “Bear Bryant, Joe Namath, four Heisman trophy winners and, of course, the great Nick Saban.”
Getting into politics, the president congratulated Alabama’s women’s track & field team for winning two SEC titles.
“And as long as I’m president, we will always protect women’s sports,” the president said to cheers. “Men will not play women’s sports. No way.”
During his speech, Trump remarked on the great opportunities of youth, pointing out that Steve Jobs and Walt Disney were both 21 years old when they founded their companies.
Meanwhile, Trump said, presidents James Madison and James Monroe, founding father Alexander Hamilton and President Thomas Jefferson “were no older than 25 when they began the journey that etched their names into the history books for all time.”
“Don’t waste your youth. Go out and fight,” Trump said.
Those names brought Trump to retired golfer Gary Player.
“He wasn’t as tall as other men. He was actually on the small side – don’t tell him that, friend of mine, don’t tell him that. But he worked very, very hard. He made up for that," Trump said, winning 168 golf tournaments.
Player gave Trump unforgettable advice, the president said.
“He said, ‘it’s funny. The harder I work, the luckier I get.’ And I didn’t think of that. .. So you really have to work hard,” he told the graduates.
That brought him to William Levitt, the New York developer who built Levittown on Long Island.
“He led a beautiful life, he had a wife … his second wife, it was a trophy wife. … I don’t like telling you everything but we’re all friends, right? He had a trophy wife," Trump said.
Trump recalled being at a party with Levitt when the developer told Trump he regretted retirement and could have accomplished even more successes if he kept on working.
“You have to know when you’re momentum time is up,” Trump advised the graduates.
The president then moved on to tech CEOs.
“Elon [Musk] is so terrific, but now all of them, you know, they all hated me in my first term,” Trump said.
“Now they’re kissing my ass. It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s nicer this way.”
Trump name dropped several successful Americans while telling the graduates to “be original.
“The old-time greats were people who had the confidence to be different: Teddy Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur, George Patton, Amelia Earhardt, Annie Oakley, Muhammad Ali, and so many others … lived their lives with personality, pride and flair," he said.
“God only created one of you,” Trump said, “you remember that.”
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