Pence to speak at Naval Academy graduation

Vice President Mike Pence will address the Naval Academy Class of 2017 at its graduation ceremony on May 26, breaking the recent trend of the commander-in-chief addressing the midshipmen in his first year as president.

President Donald Trump instead will deliver his first commencement address as president to graduates of Liberty University, a Christian university in Virginia, May 13, followed by an address at U.S. Coast Guard Academy ceremonies May 17 in New London, Connecticut.

Each year, the president delivers the commencement address at one of the U.S. military service academies. The past three presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — all spoke at the academy's graduation in the first year of both of their terms.

Bloomberg reports that Trump plans to attend the Group of Seven meeting of leaders of major industrialized nations in Italy on May 26, the same day as graduation.

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