Neither Trump Nor Vance Will Give Notre Dame’s Commencement Address

The absence of both figures from the agenda appears to be a break from tradition and is likely to raise concerns about partisanship.

Neither President Donald Trump nor Vice President JD Vance will give the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame this spring, a development that both appears to be a break from tradition and is likely to raise concerns about partisanship.

The Catholic university typically invites the newly inaugurated president or vice president to address the graduating class, but neither figure from the administration was mentioned in Notre Dame’s March 18 announcement about its upcoming commencement speaker.

Instead, Adm. Christopher Grady, a Notre Dame alumnus and the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will give the May 18 speech, the university announced.

In its release, Notre Dame gave no indication whether Trump or Vance had been invited to speak. Neither Notre Dame nor the offices of the president or vice president responded to a Register inquiry into the matter before publication.

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