U.S. President Donald Trump marked Memorial Day with a sharply worded post on his Truth Social platform, using the occasion to attack political opponents, federal judges, and President Joe Biden.
In the May 26 post—written in all caps—Trump stated:
“HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL, INCLUDING THE SCUM THAT SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY THROUGH WARPED RADICAL LEFT MINDS.”
He further accused federal judges of keeping violent criminals in the country, describing them as “USA-hating” and “monsters,” and criticized Biden as “incompetent” for his handling of immigration. Trump claimed, without citing official data, that 21 million people have entered the U.S. illegally under Biden’s leadership—a figure previously mentioned by media outlets but not verified by U.S. government statistics.
The former president also suggested that the judiciary was deliberately protecting criminals, including “murderers, drug dealers, rapists, gang members, and released prisoners from all over the world.” He alleged that these judges are aligned with what he called a “sick and twisted philosophy.”
Trump’s post drew significant backlash for its tone, especially given the solemn nature of Memorial Day, a national holiday to honor fallen military service members.
Later in the day, Trump was scheduled to observe the traditional Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, where he was expected to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and deliver remarks.
The post follows his recent partisan-themed commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he appeared in a red “Make America Great Again” hat and praised his previous electoral success.
Critics and political analysts have pointed to Trump’s growing confrontations with the judiciary and institutions as part of a broader pattern of escalating political rhetoric, which some have described as a challenge to constitutional norms.