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President Donald Trump attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony Wednesday and honored two top athletes.
While speaking at the graduation in New London, Connecticut, Trump said the graduating class was “blessed with many extraordinary 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 graduation 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, normally that could happen when you’re leading by so much,” Trump said of Desta.
Desta also played for the academy basketball team his senior year, but he was a true star on the playing field. In 36 career games, Desta caught 29 touchdowns while running for one and throwing for another. He accumulated 3,487 receiving yards on 234 receptions.
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 great record.”
“It takes their time away a little bit when I do this, but what the hell? We have time. Right? This is your day. And when someone accomplishes what these people did, we should give them a little more recognition, right?” Trump continued.
President Donald Trump arrives at the 145th United States Coast Guard graduation ceremony at Cadet Memorial Field at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, May 20, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Among the introduction of the athletes, Trump mentioned his 2019 executive order allowing graduates of US military academies to play professional sports before fulfilling their active duty requirement.
“We made it possible for people like Broock to really have great skill in sports and, in some cases, they will be drafted by the NFL or have the opportunity to get into the NFL or baseball or basketball or whatever. The problem is they had a service,” Trump said. “You know, they had to serve five years. And that’s not exactly conducive to being drafted very high if you had to leave…
“It’s made a big difference. It’s also made a big difference in recruiting. That’s why their teams are better today than they used to be…it’s made their recruiting a lot better because now they can recruit the best people, people who actually have a shot at getting into professional sports and one of the reasons they have such good teams.”
Trump also received a Coast Guard football helmet.
President Donald Trump delivers the commencement address to the Class of 2026 at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, May 20, 2026. (Kent Nishimura/AFP)
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As NIL has spread across college sports, Trump signed an executive order to “preserve the uniquely American institution of college athletics by restoring order, justice, and stability” last month.
The order “directs federal agencies to strengthen the effectiveness of key college sports rules on transfers, eligibility and pay-for-play by evaluating whether violations of those rules make a university ineligible for federal grants and contracts.”
