President Donald Trump marked the 190th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo with a statement honoring the defenders who died fighting Mexican forces in 1836.
The White House message praised the “immortal heroes” who held the Texas fortress for 13 days against overwhelming odds.
The tribute comes as the nation prepares for America’s 250th birthday celebrations. Trump connected the Alamo defenders’ sacrifice to contemporary threats, vowing his administration would “defend our homeland against foreign invaders and enemies who seek to destroy our country.”
The battle began on February 23, 1836, when Mexican President Santa Anna’s army surrounded the mission-turned-fortress in San Antonio. Just over 200 Texan settlers faced more than 1,800 Mexican troops.
Trump’s statement highlighted three famous defenders: William Travis of South Carolina, Kentucky-born Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett of Tennessee. All three died when Mexican forces finally overran the Alamo after the 13-day siege.
The President credited the doomed stand with buying Sam Houston time to build forces for Texas independence. Six weeks after the Alamo fell, Houston’s army defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto, shouting, “Remember the Alamo.”
Texas won independence and joined the United States a decade later. Trump called the defenders’ story “a testament to the immense cost of securing liberty.”
The statement emphasized defending American freedoms as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. Trump pledged to “never waver in protecting the sacred rights that make America the greatest bastion of freedom in the world.”