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President Donald Trump attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s graduation ceremony Wednesday and honored two senior athletes.
During his graduation speech in New London, Connecticut, Trump said the graduating class was “blessed with many great athletes” and invited two in particular to join him on stage.
First, Trump introduced Broock Desta, the academy’s all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns.
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Cadet Savannah Riera, president of the United States Coast Guard Academy Class of 2026, presents a football helmet to President Donald Trump during the commencement ceremony at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, May 20, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Do we have a little future in the NFL here? Maybe? I don’t know, that can usually happen when you’re leading that much,” Trump said of Desta.
Desta also played for the academy’s basketball team in his final season, but he was a true star on the court. In 36 career games, Desta has caught 29 touchdowns while rushing for one and throwing for another. He accumulated 3,487 receiving yards on 234 catches.
Next to the stage was women’s lacrosse star Abby McAllister, the women’s lacrosse program’s all-time leader in assists and points.
“Are you so good?” ” Trump asked jokingly before adding, “That’s a big record.”
“We’re messing with them a little bit in terms of timing when I do this, but what happens? We have time. Right? It’s your day. And when someone realizes what these people did, we should give them a little more recognition, right?” Trump continued.
President Donald Trump arrives at the 145th U.S. Coast Guard Commencement Ceremony on Cadet Memorial Field at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, May 20, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Between introducing the athletes, Trump mentioned his 2019 executive order in which he allowed graduates of U.S. military academies to play professional sports before completing their active duty requirements.
“We made this possible for people like Broock who really have great athletic ability and in some cases will be drafted by the NFL or have a chance to get into the NFL, or baseball or basketball or whatever. The problem is they had a serve,” Trump said. “You know, they had to serve a five-year sentence. And that’s not really conducive to being drafted very high if you were to leave…
“It’s made such a difference. It’s also made a big difference in recruiting. That’s why your teams are better today than they were. … it’s made your recruiting so much better because you’re able to recruit now the best, people who really have a chance to get into professional sports and that’s one of the reasons you have such good teams.”
Trump also received a Coast Guard football helmet.
President Donald Trump delivers the commencement address to the United States Coast Guard Academy Class of 2026 in New London, Connecticut, May 20, 2026. (Kent Nishimura/AFP)
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As NIL plagues college sports, Trump signed an executive order last month aimed at “preserving the unique American institution of college athletics by restoring order, fairness and stability.”
The order “directs federal agencies to strengthen the effectiveness of key college sports rules regarding transfer, eligibility and payment for play by evaluating whether violations of these rules render a university ineligible for federal grants and contracts.”
