President Donald Trump turned a Coast Guard commencement into a media-bashing exercise on Wednesday as he returned fire on news outlets accusing him of sharing classified information and interfering in an FBI investigation.

'No politician in history, and I say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly,' Trump protested. 'You can't let them get you down. You can't let the critics and the naysayers get in the way of your dreams,' the president said.

He added: 'I guess that's why I won.'

He then boasted about his border wall, the 'great healthcare' bill his party is working on and the large tax cuts he's been promising, having earlier bragged that aircraft carriers would be built 'under budget and ahead of schedule' in his administration.

President Donald Trump turned a Coast Guard commencement into a media bashing exercise on Wednesday as he returned fire on news outlets that accused him of sharing classified information and interfering in an FBI investigation

'You can't let them get you down. You can't let the critics and the naysayers get in the way of your dreams,' the president said. 'I guess that's why I won'

Trump was delivering this year's Coast Guard commencement address in New London, Connecticut. He stuck around after to take pictures with graduating cadets

In between congratulating the graduating class and talking up the military division, Trump bragged about his own administration and defended himself from the arrows he's been taking this week for his conduct

Trump was delivering this year's Coast Guard commencement address in New London, Connecticut.

In between congratulating the graduating class and talking up the military division, Trump bragged about his own administration and defended himself from the arrows he's been taking this week for his conduct.

'I've loosened up the strangling environmental chains wrapped around our country and our economy, chains so tight that you couldn't do anything, that jobs were going down, we were losing business. We are loosening it up,' he stated.

'We've begun plans and preparations for the border wall, which is going along very, very well.'

Continuing, Trump told cadets, 'We are working on major tax cuts for all. We are going to give you the largest tax cut in the history of our country, if we get it the way we want it, and we're going to give you major tax reform.

'And we're also getting closer and closer, day by day, to great health care for our citizens.'

Trump told cadets during the pep talk portion of his remarks: 'It’s amazing to think of the adventures that are about to begin for you'

Of the graduating class, Trump said they 'deserve not only the congratulations but the gratitude of each and every American, and we all salute you. A proud nation...Good job'

He commended the Coast Guard cadets as the embodiment of the motto he applied to his business and now, the government - on time and under budget

Trump said he was 'setting the stage right now for many, many more things to come' without explaining what he meant.

'The people understand what I'm doing, and that's the most important thing,' he contended. 'I didn't get elected to serve the Washington media or special interests. I got elected to serve the forgotten men and women of our country, and that's what I'm doing.'

'I will never stop fighting for you, and I will never stop fighting for the American people. '

Trump was presented with a ceremonial saber during the commencement exercises.

as he returned to his seat, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was heard on an open mic telling him: 'Use that on the media, sir.'

Trump chuckled and replied: 'Yeah, right!'

The U.S. president's approval rating hit a new low in a poll that came out early Wednesday. He had a 42 percent favorability score in the Morning Consult survey that is produced in concert with Politico.

In last week's poll, conducted Tuesday through Thursday, he had 46 percent backing.

His controversial decision to ax his FBI director on the first day of the poll appears to have eroded his support further. The survey was taken before the publication of two news stories that could further damage Trump's reputation.

A Washington Post story that broke early Monday evening said Trump shared highly classified information with the Russians. A New York Times story said Tuesday that the source of the material was Israel.

'I've loosened up the strangling environmental chains wrapped around our country and our economy, chains so tight that you couldn't do anything, that jobs were going down, we were losing business. We are loosening it up,' Trump declared

A report on Tuesday contained parts of a memo that fired FBI Director James Comey is said to have written after a February 14 meeting with Trump. Comey said, according to the memo that a source read aloud to the Times, that Trump tried to waive him off of an investigation into Mike Flynn

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US President Donald Trump, and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak (L-R) talking during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House. Trump is said to have shared highly classified information during it

Another Times story that came out yesterday contained parts of a memo that fired FBI Director James Comey is said to have written after a February 14 meeting with Trump.

Comey said, according to the memo that a source read aloud to the Times, that Trump tried to waive him off of an investigation into Mike Flynn, the national security advisor he'd just fired.

The White House denied Tuesday evening that a conversation of that nature had happened.

It spent much of Tuesday explaining Trump's Oval Office conversation with the Russians. Trump is said to have shared top secret information with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Russia's ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kisylak.

Trump's current national security advisor, H.R. McMaster, told reporters Tuesday that the talk was 'wholly appropriate.'

Later, as the Times reported that Israel had provided the US with the secret information, the White House refused to comment.

‘We appreciate the relationship that we have with Israel and appreciate the exchange of information that we have with them,' White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer stated. ‘That being said, I'm not going to comment any further on it.’

Images of President Donald Trump meeting with Russia's Sergei Lavrov in the Oval Office were issued by the Russian state news agency TASS, and subsequently published by much of the global media

The Russian embassy in Washington released this photo of President Trump warmly shaking hands with ambassador Sergey Kislyak

Israeli news publication Haaretz said in a report that Trump called Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, but they did not discuss the American president's conversation with the Russians.

Trump hit back at his accusers Wednesday at the Coast Guard function.

'I want to take this opportunity to give you some advice. Over the course of your life, you will find that things are not always fair. You will find that things happen to you that you do not deserve and that are not always warranted,' he told cadets.

'But you have to put your head down and fight, fight, fight! Never, ever, ever give up. Things will work out just fine. Look at the way I've been treated lately, especially by the media,' he stated.

Trump had struck a non-confrontational tone at the beginning of his remarks. He thanked Connecticut's Democratic governor, Dan Malloy, for his attendance and sympathized with the obstacles he faces in government.

'Governor, thank you. We’re glad you could join us. And I know how busy the governors are nowadays, and they’re out there fighting,' Trump said. 'It’s never easy. Budgets are a little tight, but we’re doing a job, all of us are doing a job, working together.'

Trump also teased a Coast Guard meter maid who gave tickets to his fellow cadets and booted their cars in his address on Tuesday. Trump had the cadet, Bruce Kim, stand so he could absolve him

TRUMP'S PEP TALK TO CADETS It’s amazing to think of the adventures that are about to begin for you. Across the country this month, millions of other students are graduating high school, college. Many others are wondering, just what am I going to do. They're saying to themselves, what are they going to do. You know what you're going to do. Many, many students are graduating from college right now. They're saying, what am I going to do? Where am I going to go to work? You know it. You picked a good one, by the way. You picked a beautiful one, a good one, and we're really proud to have you, I can tell you. (Applause.) Years from now, some of them may look back and ask themselves whether they’ve made the right choice, whether they’ve made the most of the opportunities they’ve been given. In the Coast Guard, you will face many challenges and many threats, but one thing you will never have to face is that question of what will I do. When you look back, you won’t doubt. You know exactly how you spent your time -- saving lives. I look at your admirals, I look at General Kelly, I look at some of the great people in service, and I want to tell you, they're excited about life. They love what they do. They love the country. They love protecting our country, and they love what they do. Is that right? Good. I didn't think anyone was going to say no. (Laughter.) That would have ruined our speech, right? (Laughter.) They're great people. You always know just what you’ll be: the leaders and officers of the United States Coast Guard. (Applause.) And when they see your uniform, everyone in the world will know exactly what that means. What standard -- and really if you think of it, when you talk about the great sailors, and the great sailors of the world, we have them. But what stranded sailor doesn’t feel relief when those red racing stripes break the horizon? What drifting soul at sea, with only a short time left to live, doesn’t rejoice at the sound of those chopper blades overhead, coming back and coming down to rescue them from death? What poison-peddling drug runner, the scourge of our country, doesn’t tremble with fear when the might of the Coast Guard comes bearing down on them? In each case, we know the reason --America's lifesaving service is on the way. The Coast Guard is truly vital to the United States Armed Forces and truly vital to our great country. (Applause.) Advertisement

Of the graduating class, Trump said they 'deserve not only the congratulations but the gratitude of each and every American, and we all salute you. A proud nation...Good job.'

Trump told them later in his speech, 'In the Coast Guard, you don't run from danger, you chase it. And you are deployed in support of operations in theaters of conflict all around the world.'

He commended the Coast Guard cadets as the embodiment of the motto he applied to his business and now, the government.

'You accomplished the objectives, and you did it with skill and with pride -- and, I’d like to say, under budget and ahead of schedule. We’re doing a lot of that now in the United States government,' he said to applause. 'We’re doing a lot of that.'

Trump took the opportunity to give himself a pat back. 'I won’t talk about how much I saved you on the F-35 fighter jet,' he said. 'I won’t even talk about it.

'Or how much we’re about to save you on the Gerald Ford, the aircraft carrier. That had a little bit of an overrun problem before I got here, you know that...But we’re going to save some good money.

'And when we build the new aircraft carriers they’re going to be built under budget and ahead of schedule, just remember that,' he promised. 'That will allow us to build more.'

The president also teased a Coast Guard meter maid who gave tickets to his fellow cadets and booted their cars in his address.

Noting that there had been 'slip ups' in their ranks, Trump said, 'Ahh, Bruce how do you do this to yourself, Bruce?'

'Bruce, what's going on with you,' he said, razzing the graduate, who he identified as First Class Cadet Bruce Kim.

Trump told the graduating class that they would have a 'clean slate in life' moving forward - 'that includes Bruce, right?' he added.

In keeping with a graduation tradition, Trump absolved the cadets for minor offenses.

'They saved you, Bruce, because they all wanted me to do that,' Trump said, telling the young man to stand. 'Thank you, Bruce. Congratulations, Bruce. Good job.'

'By the way, Bruce, don't worry about it. That's the tradition,' Trump said. 'I was forced to do that. You know that. Don't worry!'