President Donald Trump laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.
Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood beside the president as Trump grasped a wreath and placed it in honor of unidentified fallen service members.
.@POTUS lays a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of Memorial Day. pic.twitter.com/J61Gz9HSZr
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 26, 2025
After the ceremony, Trump delivered remarks marking Memorial Day and the sacrifice of members of the United States military.
“These warriors picked up the mantle of duty and service, knowing that to live for others meant always that they might die for others. They asked nothing. They gave everything. And we owe them everything and more,” Trump said.
“The greatest monument to their courage is not carved in marble or cast in bronze — it’s all around us, an American nation 325 million strong, which will soon be greater than it has ever before,” he continued.
During his remarks, Trump told the stories of a couple fallen heroes. He told of Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, who was killed by a suicide bomber in Syria in 2019. Kent was the wife of Joe Kent, a former GOP candidate for Congress who now serves as the chief of staff for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
The president also spoke of Senior Master Sergeant Elroy Harworth, who was killed while fighting in Vietnam.
Trump honored fallen warriors, calling them “America’s best and bravest.”
“We just revere their incredible legacy,” said Trump. “We salute them in their eternal and everlasting glory. And we continue our relentless pursuit of America’s destiny as we make our nation stronger, prouder, freer, and greater than ever before.”