President Joe Biden broke into a sudden whisper to U.S. Naval Academy graduates during their Friday commencement in Annapolis, Maryland.
The president leaned into the microphone and suddenly whispered that he is their “Commander-in-Chief.” The audience could be heard laughing at his remarks.
“You’ve all got so much to be proud of, you really do. By the way, once you’re commissioned, remember I am your Commander-in-Chief,” he whispered. “So don’t ask me too tough a question, okay?”
WATCH:
The president has a history of whispering into the microphone when addressing large crowds. In 2021, he whispered to the press about COVID relief and environmental legislation. He also broke into a stage whisper in November during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, where he leaned into the microphone and told the audience the U.S. economy was growing. (RELATED: Joe Biden Took Stage Whisper On The Road—And Lied To Press At UN Climate Conference)
Biden’s speech Friday marked the first time he gave commencement remarks to the Naval Academy as president, CBS News reported. While vice president, he spoke in front of Academy graduates in 2010 and 2015. Over 20,000 people were in attendance at Friday’s ceremony, according to the outlet.
During his remarks, Biden honored the late Republican Arizona Sen. and Naval officer John McCain, calling him an “American hero.”
McCain and he “disagreed politically on things,” Biden said. “But being here, I can’t help but think of John and how the Naval Academy meant so much to him. He chose these grounds for his final resting place. John, as an American hero, withstood torture, years of being held as a prisoner of war. When he came home, he wanted to continue to serve.”
Former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump addressed Naval Academy graduates in 2005, 2013 and 2018, respectively, according to CBS News. The crowd went wild during Trump’s speech in 2018 when he dropped his famous line “you’re fired.”