On Saturday, Donald Trump made his first commencement speech as president, and (surprisingly) was able to avoid igniting any new media wildfires in the process. In his speech at Liberty University, Trump reeled off his usual list of public speaking greatest hits; he made mentions of the large crowd he was speaking to, being a Washington outsider that is new to politics, and for good measure, added a dash of faith-based encouragements. All-in-all, it was a forgettable speech for those looking for headlines, but one that went over well with a crowd that consistently loudly applauded the president.

What Trump didn’t mention was the former director of the FBI, James Comey, or anything to do with Russia, for that matter. Trump kept on message throughout the speech, many times looking away from the teleprompter, seemingly about to make a comment he would regret, only to quickly get back to the pre-written program. Most of the speech Trump delivered on Saturday centered on his encouraging graduates to be themselves, not sheep that fall in line with what everyone expects them to do, via NBC News:

“Being an outsider is fine. Embrace the label,” the New York real estate mogul-turned-politician told graduates. “Because it’s the outsiders who change the world and make a lasting difference.”

Trump added that when real life inevitably smacks these young adults in the face, their best course of action would be lean on their faith when the going gets tough, something the president promised would never be held against them as long as he is in office.

“As long as I’m your president,” Trump promised to loud applause, “no one is ever going to stop you from practicing your faith or preaching what’s in your heart.”

Overall, the speech lacked fireworks, a rarity for a Trump gathering. It was clear the president had just about enough bad publicity for one week and was intent on motivating young adults heading into the real world.

(Via NBC News)