President Donald Trump Ushered in Memorial Day with a Fervent Social Media Statement
Instead of using the national holiday to honor veterans and military service members, former President Donald Trump ignited controversy early Monday with an all-caps post on Truth Social. His message took aim at President Joe Biden’s administration, members of the judiciary, and unnamed “monsters” he claimed were intent on destroying the country.
“Happy Memorial Day to all, including the scum that spent the last four years trying to destroy our country through warped radical left minds,” Trump wrote.
As he prepared to deliver a Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery, Trump used the occasion to launch a fierce critique of the Biden administration’s immigration policies. He accused Biden of allowing millions of immigrants to enter the U.S. illegally, referring to many as criminals and “mentally insane.”
Trump blamed what he described as a national immigration crisis on an “incompetent president” and condemned judges whom he alleged are working to keep dangerous individuals—“murderers, drug dealers, rapists, gang members”—within U.S. borders.
Immigration has long been one of Trump’s most contentious platforms. On March 15, he invoked the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798, enabling authorities to detain and deport certain noncitizens labeled as “alien enemies.” The Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua became the first group targeted under this measure. Trump’s proclamation called for the immediate removal of Venezuelans aged 14 and up without U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, if linked to the gang.
The initiative led to the swift deportation of over 100 suspected gang members to CECOT prison in El Salvador, but it triggered immediate legal challenges. On May 16, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted further deportations, citing due process concerns. Critics warned that the policy denied individuals the right to a fair hearing to determine actual gang affiliation.
In a May 4 appearance on Meet the Press, NBC’s Kristen Welker pressed Trump on whether noncitizens deserve due process in the United States.
“I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer,” Trump replied. When Welker pointed out that the Fifth Amendment guarantees due process to all “persons,” Trump responded dismissively:
“It might say that, but if you’re talking about that, then we’d have to have a million or two million or three million trials. We have thousands of people that are some murderers and some drug dealers… I was elected to get them the hell out of here, and the courts are holding me from doing it.”
Even as he condemned “USA-hating judges,” Trump expressed hope that the judiciary might eventually support his vision for immigration reform.
“Hopefully, the United States Supreme Court, and other good and compassionate judges throughout the land, will save us from the decisions of the monsters who want our country to go to hell,” he wrote.
“But fear not—we have made great progress over the last 4 months, and America will soon be safe and great again!”
Trump closed his message with another nod to the holiday:
“Again, Happy Memorial Day. And God bless America!”
