The Republican's jolting speech was standard fare for Trump and well-received by the crowd in deep-red Alabama, which backed him in all three of his presidential runs

"You're the first graduating class of the golden age of America," the president told the graduates

But he quickly launched into a campaign-style diatribe, saying that the US was being "ripped off" before he took office and that the last four years, when he was out of power, "were not good for our country"

"But don't let that scare you," he said. "It was an aberration"

The president of the University of Alabama, Stuart Bell, told graduates before Trump took the stage that Thursday night's event was all about them

"This special ceremony offers a meaningful opportunity for you, for I, to reflect on the important connection between academic inquiry, civic leadership, and public service," Bell said

Although Trump described the speech as a commencement address, it is actually a special event that was created before graduation ceremonies that begin Friday. Graduating students had the option of attending the event

Former Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban also spoke, regaling the audience with a story about visiting the Oval Office in 2018 during Trump's first term. Saban said Trump was a gracious host

In his remarks Thursday, Trump noted that he was marking his 100th day in office and touted the plummeting levels of arrests at the southern US border as evidence that his immigration policies were working. But he accused the courts of trying to stop him from fulfilling the promises he made on the campaign trail