Trump Video for New Citizens Stresses Duty to Preserve ‘American Way of Life’

In a newly revealed video intended for use at naturalization ceremonies across the United States, former President Donald Trump delivers a pointed message to incoming citizens, urging them to actively defend the nation’s cultural foundations. The video, obtained by Fox News Digital, is slated for nationwide distribution and will be played at every naturalization ceremony.

The message from the former President casts U.S. citizenship as a profoundly significant attainment. According to the video’s content, Trump tells the newly naturalized immigrants that receiving U.S. citizenship is the “greatest gift ever granted by human hands.” He extends a welcome, incorporating them into what he describes as the “national family.”

Call to Preserve American Culture

A central theme of Trump’s address is the imperative for new citizens to become guardians of American culture and values. He explicitly states that American culture is “yours to preserve,” placing the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the naturalized population. The video features Trump emphasizing that this culture must be “fiercely guard[ed] and defend[ed].”

The former President enumerates several key values that he characterizes as integral to this threatened culture. These include traditional tenets such as hard work, a merit system, equality of opportunity, self-government, and the rule of law. He also highlights liberty and God-given rights, specifically naming free speech, the free exercise of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms.

His message underscores a sense of shared ownership and responsibility, reiterating that this “special American culture is now yours to preserve” and that their “freedoms are now yours to protect.”

Context in Immigration Landscape

The introduction of this video comes at a significant juncture in the national conversation surrounding immigration. Naturalization is currently described as one of the few viable legal pathways to permanent residence in the United States. The video’s debut follows a period where over 800,000 individuals were naturalized as U.S. citizens in 2024, reflecting the continued importance of this formal process.

Simultaneously, the administration has maintained an increasingly hardline stance on illegal immigration, marked by intensified enforcement efforts.

Administrative Contrast and Recent Events

The content and tone of this video represent a departure from the approach taken by the previous Biden administration regarding messaging to new citizens, as noted in the report on the video’s content. The emphasis on guarding and defending culture and specific enumerated rights marks a distinct focus.

The video’s introduction also follows recent, high-profile immigration enforcement actions. Notably, it comes after recent ICE raids in Los Angeles that garnered national attention. These raids reportedly led to local protests and, subsequently, the mobilization of the National Guard.

Nationwide Rollout and Implications

The decision to play this video at every naturalization ceremony nationwide ensures that Trump’s message will reach a vast number of new citizens entering the American fold. The consistent delivery of this particular message underscores the administration’s priority in shaping the understanding of civic duty and cultural responsibility among those formally joining the American body politic.

The video serves not only as a welcome but also as a direct appeal for new citizens to embrace and actively protect a specific vision of American identity and its founding principles, as defined by the former President.