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Trump highlights guests during speech, including lauded Coast Guard member
Trump lauds Coast Guard rescue swimmer credited with saving 165 during Texas floods
WASHINGTON - A member of the Coast Guard who was credited with saving more than 100 people from the deadly Texas floods in 2025 was honored at the State of the Union address Tuesday night.
The backstory:
Scott Ruskan, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, saved at least 165 people when terrible floods swept through Central Texas and killed nearly 140, including staff and campers at Camp Mystic – an all-girls Christian camp in Kerr County on the banks of the Guadalupe River.
A Coast Guard spokesperson highlighted Ruskan's pivotal role among the 12 rescue helicopters, including those from the National Guard and the Army, that converged on the site.
What they're saying:
During President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, he called out Ruskan who was sitting in the gallery and raved about his heroics.
"And Petty Officer Ruskan, I’m pleased to inform you, I am now awarding you the Legion of Merit for extraordinary heroism, which is was what it was – extraordinary heroism," Trump said.
A military aide pinned the medal on Ruskan as he stood at attention in the gallery.
The Source: