President Donald Trump’s administration initiated talks with the University of Alabama about speaking during May’s spring 2025 commencement ceremonies, the head of the Alabama GOP said Tuesday.

John Wahl, chairman of the state political party, said that the president reached out to University officials about the possibility of him taking part in the commencement ceremony “as it was one of the places he specifically wanted to visit.”

The University’s Governmental Affairs team and members of Trump’s administration then worked together to coordinate the details to “make this historic event possible.”

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“President Trump has always prioritized citizen engagement and connecting with every day Americans – especially young people across the country,” Wahl said.

“The State of Alabama and the University of Alabama is a natural fit for that vision.”

Wahl said the president’s visit, which will occur during a ticketed event at Coleman Coliseum on May 1 – ahead of the official graduation ceremonies on the university’s campus – had been in the works for several days.

The University of Alabama’s graduation ceremonies are scheduled for May 2 through May 4.

“President Trump and the people of Alabama have always shared a special bond, and we’re proud to welcome him back to a state that continues to lead the way in upholding conservative values,” Wahl said.

Trump announced his visit to the University of Alabama in a Truth Social post on Monday.

He will also deliver a commencement address on May 24 at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. Delivering graduation ceremonies at one of the nation’s five military academies is a common ritual for U.S. presidents.

Brilyn Hollyhand, chair of the Republican National Committee’s Youth Advisory Council, and a high school student in Tuscaloosa, credited Republican U.S. Sen. Katie Britt for playing a key role in getting Trump to visit the university.

“When (Britt) has the opportunity to have the president’s ear, she is advocating for this,” Hollyhand said.

“This is her wanting to do something for the state. Most politicians would take the opportunity to get a picture with the (president and his) family. She used her time at dinners and calls to get this idea into his head.”

Britt’s office declined to comment beyond issuing a statement earlier Tuesday that called the president’s appearance a “tremendous honor for the university” and a first in the nearly 200-year history at the University of Alabama.

“As an alumna, I am especially proud to see my alma mater chosen for such a historic occasion,” Britt said in the statement.

It is unclear how involved the University of Alabama or the Board of Trustees was in coordinating the president’s visit.

Efforts to reach board members for comment on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

The UA board’s spokesperson directed inquiries about the group’s official statement to university spokesperson Alex House.

House announced earlier in the day that the Coleman Coliseum event would be a ticketed event and open to all spring 2025 graduates.

Trump’s visit is in addition to the already scheduled commencement events planned through the weekend.

House said that campus logistics and security measures are being carefully coordinated and that ticketing information will be released in the coming days.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said he became aware “a couple of days ago” that Trump was coming to the campus for commencement.

Beyond that, Maddox said, he had no other details about how the event was orchestrated.

“We all have a job to do, and the City’s is to make sure that our President has a safe and enjoyable visit to Tuscaloosa,” Maddox said. “It is always an honor to host our Nation’s Commander in Chief.”

Trump has made several visits to the University of Alabama, but mostly during football games and inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

He attended the Alabama-Georgia football game in September during his heart of the 2024 presidential campaign.

“President Trump is sitting in the Oval Office today because of Gen Z, and he hasn’t forgotten about our generation,” Hollyhand said, referring to the generation loosely defined as people born around 1997 to 2012.

“This historic speech has been weeks in the making and the president’s commitment to fly from Washington and take the time out of leading the Free World to speak to my peers in Alabama means the world and is a true testament to his priorities: encouraging the next generation of young leaders.”

The president’s return to Alabama is the first to occur since last November’s election, when he received nearly 65% of the vote.

His margin of victory over Democratic challenger Kamala Harris was the largest since Richard Nixon’s win in the 1972 presidential election.