President Donald Trump recognized mothers serving in uniform, those married to service members, and those with children in the military during an event at the White House on Friday, thanking them for their service and wishing them a happy Mother’s Day.
“Military mothers are the backbone of America,” he said. “Your unwavering dedication and support strengthens our entire nation. Today we honor you, we celebrate you, we salute you, and everything that you do — so many things, so many great things for our country.”
He addressed the crowd of military mothers in attendance separately.
“To the active-duty moms here today, we thank you for your courage and we applaud your noble service. You have two of the most important jobs in the world. Bravely defending America from our enemies, and helping to raise the next generation of American patriots,” he said.
“You’ve spent Mothers Days on ships out at seas, on bases in faraway lands, and staring down foreign threats in very dangerous areas, and you’ve done it all out of love for family, for country, and for duty. Our nation is forever in your debt. Thank you very much,” he said.
Next, he honored mothers whose spouses are serving in the military.
“We know that you also make that tremendous sacrifice for your countries, so much so they would never be as successful without you, I have to tell you. And most of them know that,” he said, joking, “Most of them, I’m not sure all of them know that, but most of them know that.”
“When you married an American warrior, you became part of an elite group of heroes. As military spouses you help carry your families through frequent moves and long deployments. You uplift your communities, care for your fellow military families, and sustain our service members through their most difficult battles,” he said.
Image Source: Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associate Press
