In his speech, Trump jokingly nodded to the hard odds he'd once faced. "I am so proud as your President to have helped you along over the past period of time". He continued, saying, "We don't need a lecture from Washington on how to lead our lives ..."
President Trump on Saturday lashed out at "pathetic" critics and the establishment class he charges with trying to block his path.
Trump encouraged graduates to challenge the status quo and be undeterred by criticism.
He occasionally sounded self-reflective as he imparted wisdom to the graduates. "Nearly all of them are very well-known", Trump said aboard the plane that took him to Lynchburg, Va. "You have to do what you love, or you most likely won't be very successful at it". In a campaign stop there in January 2016, Trump said Christianity was "under siege".
Donald Trump thanked conservative Christians for their votes, and promised to protect their values in his first commencement address as president, at evangelical stronghold Liberty University. The president later added, "Always have the courage to be yourself".
The president's speech included plenty of language tailored to the conservative Christian audience. "But the future belongs to the dreamers, not to the critics", Trump said.
Trump told graduates to "treat the word "impossible" as nothing more than motivation" and to embrace being called an "outsider" because "It's the outsiders who change the world".
He steered clear of that subject, making only sidelong swipes at his critics.
In an op-ed published by The Washington Post, Dustin Wahl, Paige Cutler, and Alexander Forbes, the Liberty University students behind the "Liberty United Against Trump" letter, characterized Trump as "amoral and self-centered".
Eurovision victor greeted by ecstatic Portuguese nation
But the 27 year-old insists he is not fit to be classed alongside Real Madrid star Ronaldo in the pantheon of Portuguese greats. Salvador Sobral scored 758 points for his love ballad Amar Pelos Dois , which was written by his sister Luisa.
Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush did so during their first year in office. During a rally in Pennsylvania last month, Trump said he had set an "all time" record for crowd size at an arena, but a journalist attending tweeted a photo of empty seats.
"Nothing worth doing ever, ever, ever came easy", Trump told the crowd.
Lanora Hale came from Millville, N.J., to watch her son graduate with a master's degree. He said he appreciated Trump's support for the state of Israel, appointment of "a pro-life justice" to the Supreme Court, and bombing of militants in the Middle East. It's been a great honor for me...
"If I give you one message to hold in your hearts today, it's this".
Rogers was endorsed by the FBI Agents Association, which said his diverse background makes him the best choice for the job.
"I really am glad that he's putting God back into everything", she said.
Falwell became a key surrogate and validator for the thrice-married Trump during the campaign, frequently traveling with Trump on the candidate's plane and appearing at events.
Notre Dame has a tradition of inviting newly inaugurated presidents to address its graduates, but the prestigious Catholic university sidestepped its presidential tradition this spring.
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