Trump celebrating Greek Independence was the highlight at the White House event hosted by President Donald Trump. The Greek Heritage Celebration honored Greek traditions, with Archbishop Elpidophoros of America joining the ceremony. This Greek Cultural Event showcased Greek pride, history, and the strong ties between the US and Greece. Trump celebrating Greek Independence emphasized the importance of cultural unity and historical remembrance.
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#TrumpCelebrating
#GreekIndependenceDay
#GreekHeritage
#GreekCulturalEvent
#WhiteHouseEvent
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NewsTranscript
00:00With this cross, I pray you bring peace to the world.
00:05In terms of businesses coming in, I think we're close to $4 trillion now.
00:09Nobody's ever even heard of anything like that.
00:11I was very impressed by it because we played ourselves in the movie and acting wasn't the best,
00:16but it was a very accurate movie.
00:17During Bond, the United States and Greece and the founding of the Hellenic Republic
00:23and under President Trump.
00:26Mr. President, first of all, allow me to offer the congratulations
00:32of the Greek-American community on your re-election to the presidency of our nation.
00:45We all look forward to a bright future for all Americans.
00:55I also want to thank you for creating the White House Faith Office,
01:01which promises to be an extraordinary collaboration between your administration and all faith leaders.
01:13Today, Mr. President, you bestow extraordinary honor upon the Greek-American people
01:20with the annual Greek Independence Day celebration here at the White House.
01:26As ever, we are all humbled by the prestige of this celebration.
01:32And on behalf of all, I thank you.
01:36Thank you for continuing this wonderful tradition that recognizes the Greek roots of democracy.
01:45We are here to celebrate.
01:48To celebrate the world's first democracy, Greece.
01:53But we are here also to celebrate the world's greatest democracy, the United States of America.
02:02We acclaim and remember the immortal heroes of 1821,
02:13who, like those of 1776, gave their all to attain liberty for their land.
02:21Mr. President, we especially thank you for your commitment to Christianity
02:28and especially the Christians of the Middle East,
02:32who keep Christianity alive and thriving in the lands of its origin.
02:45As sons and daughters of the Mother Church of Constantinople,
02:50whose longest-serving leader in history is His All-Holiness, our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,
02:57we thank you for your unwavering support of the spiritual mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul.
03:05Mr. President, you lead the world.
03:10You are the leader of the world.
03:13You are the leader in championing freedom and peace between all people.
03:19We are very grateful to you for your support of Greece
03:24and your support for the cause of justice in Cyprus.
03:29Through your leadership, you embody the values of our Christian faith and love for the Gospel.
03:38You remind me of the great Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.
03:44This Emperor, dear Mr. President, is the one who founded and built the magnificent city of Constantinople, my birthplace, known today as Istanbul.
04:12It is my great honor to present you with this Holy Cross.
04:26This cross is the very symbol that led this great Roman Emperor Constantine to victory.
04:35As Christ revealed to him in a vision, he said,
04:40Entuto nica, told the Emperor, means go with this and be victorious, Mr. President.
04:49This cross is an everlasting symbol of peace and an invincible trophy, a sign of divine strength and guidance.
05:00With this cross, I pray you bring peace to the world and make America invincible.
05:30Wow, that's so beautiful. Thank you very much.
05:41I didn't know that was going to happen, but I'll take it.
05:46Thank you so much.
05:49Greek Independence Day. Wow.
05:53I'm delighted to welcome to the White House the hundreds of proud, hardworking Greek American patriots.
05:59I know so many of you. I like most of you. Some I don't like. They get to be very tough.
06:04Pretty tough people out there, but that's okay. We love you.
06:08We love you all. In a few moments, I'll sign the proclamation to officially recognize tomorrow, March 25th, 2025, as Greek Independence Day, celebrating 204 years.
06:21That's right. Celebrating 204 years of glorious Greek sovereignty and freedom.
06:27That's a long time. That's a great thing we're doing, and it's such an honor to have you.
06:33So, having His Eminence, the Archbishop, with us is very special.
06:39And I've been doing this from the very beginning. We missed four years, unfortunately. Bad things happened.
06:46A lot of bad things happened.
06:49And the world wasn't doing so well for four years, but we're doing well now.
06:53We're doing better now than we've ever done. We have things happening with our country that are incredible.
06:58And in terms of businesses coming in, I think we're close to $4 trillion now.
07:02Nobody's ever even heard of anything like that.
07:05And they're coming in, Archbishop. They're coming in at levels that we have never seen.
07:09And we're doing well, and the Greeks are doing well. They'll always do well.
07:13And I want to thank some of the wonderful Greek Americans working tirelessly by my side, members of my administration, friends of mine.
07:21And just incredible people.
07:24The President of Science and Technology Policy, Michael Kratios.
07:29Where's Michael?
07:32Hello. Hello, Michael. Thank you, Michael.
07:35And Deputy Secretary of State, Michael Rigas.
07:39Michael, thank you very much. Thank you very much.
07:44I also want to thank Greeks for Trump. Greeks for—those are the ones I really like.
07:50Christos Marafaksos. Christos. Where's Christos? Good-looking guy he is.
07:57Thank you very much.
07:59And we also have some very powerful Greek politicians like Gus.
08:03Gus, will you please stand up? Nobody sees you.
08:07Gus Bilirakis. And he is a great—he's a great friend of mine.
08:12And he's doing well. You're doing well, aren't you, Gus?
08:15Yeah, I always say, stand up a little higher, Gus.
08:19And Mike Herodopoulos. Mike, thank you very much.
08:23Where's Mike? Mike, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thank you for everything.
08:27Lance Gooden. Where's Lance? I don't know how much Greek you have in you, Lance.
08:33Oh, the Greek, you do have—that's the ultimate. You're right.
08:37And Joe Wilson, our friend, Joe Wilson.
08:40Joe, thank you. Thanks.
08:43Thank you, Joe.
08:45And EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who's got a big job.
08:49Thank you, Lee. He's got a big job.
08:52He's got to get those permits out fast because China gives fast permits, right?
08:56They don't even do permits. They just say, build. Don't worry about it.
08:59Chief Financial Officer of Florida Jimmy Patronis, who's running in a big race.
09:04He's running in a big race, and I hear you're doing well in the polls.
09:08You've got to win that one, but they've got to get out and vote. Right, Jimmy?
09:11But you're doing great.
09:13And my former Chief of Staff, who's a terrific guy, Reince Briebus. Reince?
09:17Hi, Reince.
09:20Reince is a terrific guy and another terrific guy and woman, by the way.
09:25We have John Casamitidis, number one, and his beautiful wife, Margo.
09:30And I want to thank you.
09:32And your daughter, Andrea, is here. Good. Wow. That's good.
09:35We have the whole family. He's done a fantastic job.
09:39The family has with ABC, and they have the biggest radio show
09:43and biggest station, I think, in New York. So good.
09:46So we have to really be nice to them when we think we're going to win New York.
09:50And if you have him on your side, but it's a great family.
09:53Thank you very much, my friends, for a long time. Thanks, John.
09:56Let me also extend a special welcome to Ambassador Nasica from Greece
10:02and Ambassador Sava from Cyprus.
10:05Two very friendly rivals.
10:09Thank you both very much.
10:11And the bond between the United States and modern Greek nation
10:14goes back more than two centuries.
10:17On March 25, 1821, Greek patriots began their noble fight
10:21to reclaim their destiny from the grip of a foreign empire,
10:25a very powerful foreign empire.
10:28President James Monroe said at the time that the whole civilized world
10:32had a deep interest in a victory for the Greek people.
10:37President Monroe understood that Americans were bound by history and culture
10:41to the birthplace of democracy and the cradle of Western civilization,
10:46from the pages of our Constitution to the architecture of this capital city,
10:51this wonderful city of ours that we're fixing up, starting to shape up
10:55very nicely, isn't it, huh?
10:57To the very words of the English language,
11:00the legacy of the Greeks is all around us, it encircles us.
11:04But perhaps the greatest gift we have inherited from that amazing culture
11:08is our incredible Greek-American community
11:11that is now more than 3 million strong.
11:14I worked very hard.
11:16I worked very hard on getting your votes, but we didn't need to
11:21because we got them by a lot, right?
11:24We won by a lot, and we love them, and they love us.
11:27But we're joined today by one extraordinary Greek-American citizen,
11:31Alex Skarlatos.
11:33And you know the story of Alex,
11:36inspired by his grandfather who fought against the Nazis
11:39and the Greek resistance.
11:41Alex joined the National Guard after high school 10 years ago
11:45following a deployment to Afghanistan.
11:47You all read about this.
11:49Alex and his friends were on a train from Amsterdam to Paris
11:53when a bloodthirsty, radical Islamic terrorist
11:55began shooting innocent people all over the train.
11:58They were falling left and right.
12:01In an act of tremendous valor, Alex and his comrades
12:04charged the gunman despite being completely unarmed
12:08and beat him into submission.
12:10And where is Alex? He's around here someplace.
12:13Get up here, Alex. Get up here.
12:16Come on, Alex. Get up here, Alex.
12:18USA! USA! USA!
12:23Before providing life-saving aid to an American
12:26who was shot and hurt so badly,
12:28Alex's bravery helped save countless innocent lives that day.
12:32And today he continues to serve his country
12:34as a member of the Oregon State Legislature.
12:36So, Alex, come up here for a second.
12:38I at least want to shake your hand.
12:40Come up here.
12:45That's a big story.
12:47I don't think I would have done that.
12:49I don't know. I'm not sure.
12:51Thank you. I appreciate it.
12:53Go ahead.
12:55Well, one of the last times I was here
12:57was actually to watch our movie that Clint Eastwood directed,
13:01and we watched it with the president.
13:03And that was, yeah, I think February of 2018.
13:07And I honestly was surprised
13:10because I thought the president would watch about ten minutes
13:13and then leave.
13:15But he stayed for the whole movie,
13:17which I was very impressed by
13:19because we played ourselves in the movie
13:21and the acting wasn't the best,
13:23but it was a very accurate movie.
13:25And the best part was when it came to the part
13:28where we were beating up the terrorists,
13:31the president hit me on the shoulder
13:33and was like, right on.
13:35And I was like, whoa.
13:37So that's one of the top-tier memories for me.
13:40So I just wanted to say thanks so much.
13:42Great to see you again.
13:46Thank you, Alex.
13:48We're also joined by another Greek-American
13:51who first came here from Athens
13:53with $75 in his pocket
13:56after becoming an American citizen,
13:58Steve Valetsis.
14:00Where is Steve?
14:02Steve. That's our good story, Steve.
14:04You've got plenty of cash now.
14:06So you started off with $75,
14:08and today you have a lot of money.
14:12But Steve built one of the most respected
14:14catering companies in Washington
14:16and all around the East Coast.
14:18And they have proudly catered
14:20the inaugural banquet in the U.S. Capitol
14:22for every president since Ronald Reagan.
14:25And I must tell you,
14:27he just did ours. He did three.
14:30The one we didn't show up to
14:32because something happened.
14:34He was ready to do three,
14:36but something happened on the middle one.
14:38And we did awfully well that day,
14:40I will tell you.
14:42But he just did one on January 20, 2025.
14:45And everybody is still talking about the great food
14:47and the great service.
14:49And you did a fantastic job.
14:51There were a lot of people.
14:53Thank you very much, Steve, and your family.
14:57Also, many of you know Steve's daughter, Alexandra,
14:59as the Director of the White House Fiduciary Office.
15:01Congratulations to Steve and Alexandra.
15:04Great job.
15:06Great job. Thanks, Alexandra.
15:08Great job you do.
15:10You do a fantastic job at the White House.
15:12Also with us in person,
15:14and a person that really is a great friend
15:16and been a great friend for a long time.
15:19I've known this woman,
15:21although she's very young yet,
15:23I've known her for a long time.
15:25She came here, and she loves our country,
15:27and she loves Greece.
15:29And now she's going to be the future ambassador
15:31to the Hellenic Republic, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
15:34And I'm going to say,
15:36Kimberly, come on up and say a few words.
15:38Kimberly, come.
15:41She's really a good person.
15:43She represents the Greek culture very well,
15:46I will tell you.
15:48She's very proud of it.
15:50Kimberly, please.
15:56Good afternoon.
15:58Thank you so much, everyone, being here.
16:00And I tell you, this is the honor and privilege
16:02of a lifetime to serve this country
16:04and to serve a country that I love so much,
16:06that is so near and dear to my heart, with Greece,
16:09and to do it under the guidance, the leadership,
16:12the most important, powerful president
16:15that this country has ever seen,
16:17a man of integrity, I know the measure of the man
16:19and his character and his strength,
16:21and I know his love for the people of Greece,
16:23the birthplace of democracy.
16:26And today we celebrate and cherish
16:28our rich history and our enduring bond,
16:31the United States and Greece,
16:33and the founding of the Hellenic Republic,
16:36and under President Trump,
16:38know, sleep well at night and wake up in the morning
16:41feeling hopeful and optimistic
16:43for a man that will fight for the economy
16:45of this country and of Greece,
16:47for religious liberty and freedom,
16:49and for the enduring alliance
16:51of Greece and the United States.
16:53God bless you all.
16:55Thank you for having me.
17:01Four more years! Four more years!
17:04Four more years! Four more years!
17:07Four more years! Four more years!
17:10Four more years!
17:12Thank you, Kimberly.
17:14We are well represented with Kimberly, do we agree?
17:17Thank you, Kimberly.
17:19From Washington to Chicago,
17:21from New York to Detroit, from Philadelphia
17:23to the famous Tarpon Springs,
17:25you know all about Tarpon Springs, Florida,
17:27Greek Americans have blessed our country
17:29with exceptional courage, patriotism,
17:31and tremendous skill.
17:33Under this administration,
17:35we will continue to honor the virtues, ideals,
17:37and spirit of this magnificent heritage,
17:40and it is indeed magnificent,
17:42that has flourished for thousands of years,
17:44from the golden age of ancient Greece
17:47to the golden age of America.
17:49That's where we are right now,
17:51the golden age of America, right, John?
17:53Once again, let me wish you all
17:55a very, very happy Greek Independence Day.
17:58It's an honor again to have your eminence.
18:00It's an honor to have you with us.
18:02I appreciate it very much,
18:04and I appreciate that magnificent cross.
18:06It will be with me always.
18:08And I'd just like to finish
18:10by saying you are a very, very special people.
18:14I wouldn't have missed this.
18:16I was very busy today.
18:18I had something, they took me away,
18:20and I said, well, isn't that the same day
18:22we're celebrating Greek Independence Day?
18:24They said, yes.
18:27It was not easy to do, my friend.
18:31It was not easy to do, but we did it,
18:33and it's now my honor to sign the proclamation.
18:36Thank you very much.