President Trump has released a new video for legal immigrants at naturalization ceremonies—and it’s a departure from the globalist platitudes of the past. Instead of simply celebrating immigration as a “journey,” Trump is calling on America’s newest citizens to embrace their duty to protect the country’s culture, freedoms, and laws.

“Today, you receive one of the most priceless gifts ever granted by human hands. You become a citizen of the United States of America,” Trump said. “With this sacred honor comes the highest responsibility.”

In a tone rooted in patriotism, Trump rejected the progressive idea of America as a nation defined by immigration. He spoke instead of a nation forged by heroes and builders—and of a culture that must be preserved through courage, merit, and loyalty to the Constitution. “No matter where you come from,” he told the new citizens, “you now share a home and a heritage with some of the most exceptional heroes, legends, and patriots to ever walk the face of the Earth.”

He emphasized traditional American values such as hard work, self-government, equality under the law, and God-given rights like free speech and the Second Amendment. “This special American culture is now yours to preserve. Your freedoms are now yours to protect,” Trump said.

The message stands in sharp contrast to the one delivered by Barack Obama in 2015, who described naturalization as merely “adding a new chapter to your journey,” and focused on diversity over unity. Obama’s message barely referenced American heritage or the responsibilities of citizenship. Instead, he praised immigrants for revitalizing the country and even claimed the true strength of the nation lies in migrants’ dreams—not its citizens’ traditions.

Trump’s statement implicitly rebukes that vision. Rather than celebrating diversity or multiculturalism, Trump’s focus was on integration into a shared national identity. He didn’t mention the “nation of immigrants” slogan or elevate foreign backgrounds as political tools. Instead, he called citizenship “a privilege” and tasked new Americans with defending the republic from within.

His message echoes the words of the naturalization oath itself, which requires new citizens to renounce all previous loyalties and pledge full allegiance to the United States. “Our entire nation is now yours to love and to help build,” Trump said. “We trust that you will do a fantastic job and make us very, very proud.”

The backdrop is a political divide over immigration’s role in reshaping America. Under Joe Biden’s presidency, more than 10 million illegal migrants reportedly entered the country, further fueling fears that Democrats are using immigration to permanently shift the political landscape.

By contrast, Trump’s video affirms the traditional belief that immigrants must fully assimilate—not reshape—American society. His speech to new citizens is a reminder that liberty is not free, and American citizenship carries more than rights—it carries the obligation to defend the very ideals that made the nation great.

For Trump, the message is clear: welcome to America—now help keep it free.