President Donald Trump is set to deliver the commencement speech at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, with the ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning. It will be his first visit to Connecticut since his re-election, and Air Force One is expected to arrive shortly before the event, followed by a motorcade to the academy.
The visit is already shaping traffic and security across the region. Police in Groton said Poquonnock Road, Rainville Avenue, and Clarence B Sharp Highway will be affected, while New London has closed a dozen roads and posted no-parking signs throughout the city.
Security has also been increased around the academy and nearby streets. Drivers have been urged to plan ahead and allow extra time because of the road closures and heavier police presence.
New London Mayor Michael Passero called the presidential visit a special moment for the city. “It’s special on the year the president comes,” Passero said, reflecting the attention the event is bringing to the waterfront community.
The Coast Guard Academy’s commencement has drawn presidential speakers before. President Joe Biden gave the keynote address in 2021, and Trump also spoke at the ceremony in 2017.
For residents and visitors, the main focus remains on the ceremony itself and the movement it creates across New London and Groton. Officials say real-time traffic updates are available through the Channel 3 First Alert traffic map as the morning progresses.
