The annual reception for Greek Independence Day returned to the White House with brilliance. This is a special honor that the U.S. government pays to Hellenism, as the Greek-American and Irish communities are the only national teams in the U.S. that celebrate their national anniversary each year at the White House. US President Trump appeared alongside the Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, delivered a speech and signed the Greek Independence Day Declaration, handing out the pens at the end to the enthusiastic selected Greek-Americans present at the glorious event.
Christian Pappas
President Trump welcomed the 450 plus Greek American guests to the White House calling them “hardworking Greek American patriots” and acknowledging the Greek-American lawmakers and members of his administration who were in attendance. Immediately following he signed a Proclamation to officially recognize March 25, 2025 as the anniversary of Greek Independence Day.
The U.S. president made a nominal reference to the Greek-Americans who staff his government, as well as to lawmakers and prominent figures from the Greek Diaspora, emphasizing the enduring cultural ties that connect the U.S. with Greece.
As he noted, "the bond between the U.S. and the modern Greek nation dates back more than two centuries, in 1821, when Greek patriots began their noble struggle to claim their independence from a very powerful empire. President James Monroe said at the time that the entire civilized world should be interested in the victory of the Greek people. President Monroe understood that Americans were connected through history and culture to the birthplace of democracy and the cradle of Western civilization: through the pages of the Constitution and through the architecture of this capital, the heritage of the Greeks is everywhere and surrounds us."
The U.S. president praised the contribution of the Greek-American community to the social, political, and economic life of the United States. "Perhaps the greatest gift we have inherited from this amazing country (Greece) is our incredible Greek-American community that today numbers more than 3 million people. I worked very hard to claim your votes but we didn't need it because we won by a large margin. We love them and we love them," Donald Trump said.
At this point, he invited the Greek-American Alex Scarlatos to the stage, whom he presented as an American hero and referred to his well-known personal story. "Alex Skarlatos, inspired by his grandfather and the Greek resistance, joined the National Guard after high school. Ten years after his mission to Afghanistan, Alex and his friends were on a train from Amsterdam to Paris when a bloodthirsty radical Islamist began shooting innocent people. In an act of tremendous bravery, Alex and his comrades immobilized him despite being completely unarmed."
Present at the event were the Ambassador of Greece to the United States Katerina Nasika and the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus Evangelos Savvas. Among the attendees who stood out were the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology, Michael Kratsios, as well as the proposed U.S. ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, whom he invited to the stage. The U.S. president gave special importance to the presence of Greek-born lawmakers from Florida, Mike Charidopoulos and Gus Bilirakis, whom he described as a good friend. Finally, he also referred to the candidate for the Greek parliament Jimmy Patronis, saying that he hears that he is doing well in the polls.
The Gift of the Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
The Archbishop Elpidophoros of America congratulated President Trump on behalf of the Greek-American community on his re-election, expressing gratitude for this tradition in the White House that recognizes the Greek roots of democracy.
His Eminence was welcomed by President Donald Trump to the White House for a celebration recognizing the 204th Anniversary of March 25 Greek Independence Day. This annual esteemed celebration at the White House began in 1987 and has become a tradition for every president.
Addressing the President and the hundreds of Greek Americans attending the event, Archbishop Elpidophoros remarked, “Today, Mr. President, you bestow extraordinary honor upon the Greek-American People with the Annual Greek Independence Day celebration here at the White House. As ever, we are humbled by the prestige of this celebration, and on behalf of all, I thank you for continuing this wonderful tradition that recognizes the Greek roots of Democracy.”
His Eminence also offered the President a gift of a Holy Cross, saying, “It is my great honor to present you with this Holy Cross...This Cross is an everlasting symbol of peace and an invincible trophy, a sign of divine strength and guidance. With this Cross, I pray you bring peace to the world, and make America invincible!”
"We are here to celebrate the world's first democracy, Greece, and the largest democracy in the world, the United States of America. We recognize and remember the immortal heroes of 1821, who, like those of 1776, gave everything to conquer freedom for their country," noted Mr. Elpidophoros.
He thanked the U.S. president for the support he offers to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the interest his government has shown in protecting Christian populations in the Middle East. "I also want to thank you for creating the White House Office of Faith, which has the potential to create an excellent partnership between your administration and religious leaders," he said.
The Archbishop of America did not fail to thank Donald Trump for the support he offers to Greece and the defense of justice for Cyprus. Towards the end of his speech, the Archbishop presented an "honorable cross" to President Trump, referring to the vision that Constantine the Great had seen.
Kimberly Guilfoyle's Message: Trump Will Work on Greek-American Relations
The proposed U.S. ambassador to Greece also took the stage at the urging of Donald Trump. For her part, Kimberly Guilfoyle referred to the integrity of character and the dynamic personality of the American president who, as she said, knows that he loves Greece and said that he feels honored to serve Greek-American relations under his guidance.
Ms. Guilfoyle argued that Donald Trump is working to strengthen the two countries' economies, to promote religious freedoms and to further develop the alliance between Washington and Athens.
"Today we celebrate our rich history and our enduring bond between the founding of the United States and Greece, and the founding of the Hellenic Republic, and under President Trump you must sleep well at night and wake up in the morning optimistic, knowing that there is a man who will fight for the economy of this country and Greece, for religious freedom and for the enduring alliance between Greece and the United States".
Among the attendees were Konstantinos Mitsotakis, the son of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and other prominent figures such as businessman and philanthropist Michael Psaros, the president of Olympiakos F.C., Greek shipowner and one of the Grand Marshals of this year's parade Mr. Vangelis Marinakis, the former U.S. Ambassador to Athens Mr. George Tsunis, who accompanied Mr. Vangelis Marinakis, the profound Greek-American entrepreneur Mr. Lou (Ilias) Katsos and other influential Greek-Americans.
President Trump also recognized the Greek-American billionaire businessman Mr. John Catsimatidis, his wife Mrs. Margo Catsimatidis and their daughter Ms. Andrea Catsimatidis, emphasizing that Mr. Catsimatidis is a “friend” making a point that the ties between the two men are strong.
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