President Trump Leads 2025 National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington
November 11, 2025 · U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs · 1:29:19
Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube
What happened
The 2025 National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery began with President Trump placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, greeted on arrival by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs broadcast. Vance introduced the President, telling veterans that the best way to keep the best and brightest signing up is to make sure veterans know the country is grateful to them, as stated in his remarks.
Trump thanked veterans for carrying America’s fate on their shoulders and said the nation owes everything it has achieved to those who served, according to the broadcast. He thanked Collins for what he called an outstanding job for veterans and cited a 92 percent approval rating, up from 38 percent under the previous administration, as stated in his remarks. He also recognized Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other cabinet members in attendance, as shown in the broadcast.
Trump recounted the stories of Major Sullivan Ballou before Bull Run, Colonel Bull Wolverton on D-Day eve, Medal of Honor recipient Captain William Swenson in Afghanistan and Air Force rescue pilot Dale Stovall in Vietnam, and said more than one million American service members have made the supreme sacrifice, according to the broadcast. He also said he is proclaiming Victory Day observances for World War I and World War II, and noted the Department of Defense has been renamed the Department of War, as stated in his remarks.
Why it matters
The annual Arlington observance is the administration’s central Veterans Day stage, and the President used it to pair the ceremonial tribute with his VA approval claim and the Victory Day and Department of War renamings.
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, “2025 National Veterans Day Observance”, 2025-11-11 (official upload, embedded above; published 2025-11-11). Transcript via Supadata (private research store, paraphrased and attributed, not republished). All figures and characterizations as stated by the speakers.
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