2/25/2026 | USA | world | ✓ Verified - pbs.org

WATCH: Trump awards Camp Mystic rescue swimmer with military award

#Trump #State of the Union #Camp Mystic #Legion of Merit #Coast Guard #Rescue swimmer #Texas flooding #Heroism

📌 Key Takeaways

Trump awarded Coast Guard swimmer Scott Ruskan the Legion of Merit for heroic rescues during Camp Mystic flooding
An 11-year-old rescued by Ruskan attended the speech and was reunited with the officer
Ruskan saved 165 people during last summer's deadly flooding at a girls' summer camp in central Texas
The recognition came during Trump's State of the Union address amid broader messaging about achievements

📖 Full Retelling

President Donald Trump honored U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan with the Legion of Merit for extraordinary heroism during his State of the Union address in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, recognizing the officer's efforts in saving 165 people after last summer's deadly flooding at Camp Mystic in central Texas. During his speech, Trump highlighted the dramatic rescue efforts, noting that 'floodwaters tore through a girls' summer camp in central Texas, one of the worst things I've ever seen.' The president emotionally pointed out that an 11-year-old who was rescued by Ruskan was attending Tuesday's speech and was being reunited with the officer for the first time, creating a powerful moment during the address. Trump's recognition of Ruskan's bravery came amid his administration's broader messaging about achievements and leadership as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of America's independence. The president's address follows 13 months of break-neck deregulation, a record number of executive actions, mass layoffs, and aggressive immigration tactics, with Trump expected to outline his administration's accomplishments and make his case for keeping his party in power during the upcoming November elections.

🏷️ Themes

Heroism and recognition, Government achievements and challenges, Natural disaster response

📚 Related People & Topics

Coast guard

Maritime security organization

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State of the Union

Annual report by the president of the United States

The State of the Union address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condition of the nation. The speech generally includes reports...

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Camp Mystic

Private summer camp in Texas, US

Camp Mystic is a private non-denominational Christian girls' summer camp in unincorporated Kerr County, Texas, US. It is set on a 725-acre (293 ha) campus consisting of two neighboring sites 6 miles (9.7 km) southwest of Hunt, near the confluence of the South Fork Guadalupe River and Cypress Creek. ...

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Legion of Merit

Military award of the US Armed Forces

The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight uniformed services of the United States as well as to mil...

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Donald Trump

President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)

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Connections for Coast guard:

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👤 Donald Trump 2 shared

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🏢 Great Lakes 1 shared

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