Trump: “From the Golden Age of Greece to the Golden Age of America”; Johnson: “Just Getting Started”; Border: “Nobody There”

President Trump closed the Greek Independence Day celebration in March 2025 by connecting Greece’s classical heritage to his administration’s governing philosophy: “Greek Americans have blessed our country with exceptional courage, patriotism, and tremendous skill. From the golden age of ancient Greece to the golden age of America — that’s where we are right now.” Speaker Mike Johnson declared the Hyundai investment was evidence that “we’re just getting started” and reported “almost euphoria” among Americans nationwide. Trump also shared a border update: “There was literally nobody in this massive plaza — a plaza that would hold hundreds of thousands of people.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise called the Hyundai announcement “one more example of how the America First agenda is working."

"The Golden Age of America”

Trump delivered the closing remarks of the Greek Independence Day event with a sweep through Greek-American geography.

“From Washington to Chicago, from New York to Detroit, from Philadelphia to the famous Tarpon Springs — you know all about Tarpon Springs, Florida,” Trump said, referencing the Florida city famous for its Greek-American community and sponge diving heritage.

He then offered the tribute: “Greek Americans have blessed our country with exceptional courage, patriotism, and tremendous skill. Under this administration, we will continue to honor the virtues, ideals, and spirit of this magnificent heritage.”

The rhetorical crescendo connected ancient history to the present: “And it is indeed magnificent — that has flourished for thousands of years, from the golden age of ancient Greece to the golden age of America. That’s where we are right now — the golden age of America.”

The “golden age” framing had become a signature of Trump’s second term, but connecting it to Greece’s golden age — the era of Pericles, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle — elevated it from a political slogan to a civilizational aspiration. The golden age of Athens had produced democracy, philosophy, drama, and the foundations of Western thought. By linking America’s golden age to Greece’s, Trump was implicitly arguing that his presidency was not merely producing economic growth but fostering a civilizational renewal.

Trump expressed personal warmth toward the Archbishop’s gift: “I appreciate that magnificent cross. It will be with me always.”

He revealed that he had rearranged his schedule for the event: “I was very busy today. I had something. They took me away and I said, well, isn’t that the same day we’re celebrating Greek Independence Day? They said yes. I said cancel the other one. It was a very big deal. It was not easy to do, my friend. It was not easy to do, but we did it.”

The anecdote was both self-aggrandizing and genuinely flattering to the Greek-American community. Whatever the “very big deal” was that Trump had canceled, he was telling the audience that they mattered more.

Speaker Johnson: “Almost Euphoria”

Speaker Mike Johnson provided the political assessment of the administration’s momentum.

“It was mentioned earlier what a great start we’ve had to your second term, and we’re just getting started,” Johnson said. “Everyone should know that.”

He connected the Hyundai investment to the broader pattern: “There’ll be more of this because it’s the policies that are bringing about the great growth, and it’s about leadership. And we have a strong new leader back in the White House, and it makes a big difference because everybody around the world is seeing that, and everyone around the country is applauding it.”

Johnson then shared his firsthand observations from traveling the country: “We were on district work period last week, and Steve Scalise and I and our colleagues were traveling around the country doing campaign events, raising money, doing all the things that are necessary to ensure that we keep the House majority.”

The report from the field: “I was in multiple states over the last week, and everywhere I went, Mr. President, people are excited. There’s this great sense of relief, almost euphoria out there because they know that America’s back.”

The “almost euphoria” description was notable coming from the Speaker of the House. Johnson was not a man given to hyperbole; his assessment that the public mood had shifted to something approaching euphoria suggested that the combination of corporate investment announcements, falling prices, border security improvements, and military strength was producing a measurable change in national confidence.

Border Update: “Nobody There”

Trump interjected with a border update that provided perhaps the most vivid image of the administration’s immigration enforcement success.

“Yesterday I was speaking to somebody — I was checking on the border, and they said there was literally nobody in this massive plaza,” Trump said. “You know, we’re talking a plaza that would hold hundreds of thousands of people. There was literally nobody there.”

He added one detail: “There was one person sweeping it, but there were no people.”

The image of a border plaza designed to hold hundreds of thousands of migrants — now empty except for a single person sweeping — was the kind of visual that communicated more than any statistic. The plazas that had been processing centers for the largest wave of illegal immigration in American history were now vacant. The flow had not merely slowed; it had stopped.

“It’s been amazing,” Trump said. “It’s been an amazing transformation very quickly. And we’re getting the bad ones out first, and we’re taking them out.”

Scalise: “America First Agenda Is Working”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise placed the Hyundai announcement in the context of the administration’s legislative and executive agenda.

“Some people marvel at President Trump’s stamina,” Scalise said. “Over the weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, we spoke by phone on some different legislative initiatives that we’re working on with Speaker Johnson to continue moving the agenda forward.”

He drew the direct line: “Those very things that President Trump ran on, he’s delivering for the American people. And this announcement by Hyundai is one more example of how that agenda that President Trump ran on to make America First again is working for the American people.”

Scalise provided the Louisiana perspective: “When you talk about 1,300 plus really good jobs in Louisiana, those are all American workers. That’s billions of investment coming in from Hyundai into the United States that would not have been here without President Trump’s leadership.”

He echoed Johnson’s assessment: “People know that. They see it. It’s been a long time coming, but we applaud the work that Hyundai is doing with Governor Landry to come to our state. But for President Trump, we’re seeing this all across the nation, and we’re just getting started. A lot more to come, Mr. President.”

The “would not have been here without President Trump’s leadership” was the core claim of the administration’s economic message. The Hyundai investment was not coincidental; it was caused by specific policy choices — tariffs, deregulation, energy policy — that the administration had implemented. Different policies would have produced different outcomes. Hyundai’s $21 billion was the direct result of a president who had changed the economic calculus.

Key Takeaways

• Trump connected Greek heritage to his governing vision: “From the golden age of ancient Greece to the golden age of America — that’s where we are right now.”
• He canceled another engagement to attend: “Isn’t that the same day we’re celebrating Greek Independence Day? Cancel the other one.”
• Speaker Johnson reported “almost euphoria” among Americans in multiple states: “People are excited. They know that America’s back.”
• Trump shared a border update: a plaza designed for “hundreds of thousands of people” was “literally empty” except for one person sweeping.
• Scalise called the Hyundai investment proof the “America First agenda is working” and said “we’re just getting started — a lot more to come.”