President Nawrocki tells Florida's Polish diaspora the US alliance is strong because of them

The final stop: Clearwater's Polish centre

President Karol Nawrocki ended his multi-day visit to the United States on Tuesday with a gathering at the Pope John Paul II Polish Centre in Clearwater, Florida, near Tampa. The event was the last public engagement of a trip that included participation in the 80th birthday celebrations of US president Donald Trump and the launch of the official 250th anniversary commemorations of the Declaration of Independence. During the Clearwater address, Nawrocki awarded state decorations to three members of the Polish-American community: Antonina Hubska, Michał Bąk, and Paweł Dębiński.

“You are part of the great Polish-American friendship.”

A diaspora of 60 million

Nawrocki framed the Polish nation as a 60-million-strong global community, with nearly 40 million within the borders of the Republic, 20 million abroad, and 10 million in the United States. On Florida alone, he noted, 400,000 Americans claim Polish ancestry and 40,000 Polish citizens reside. The president described the local community as "real ambassadors of the Republic of Poland" whose daily work in public life across multiple sectors strengthens the alliance.

“Today's strength of the Polish-American alliance, the possibility of this closeness, this cooperation with President Donald Trump, also stems from your strength.”

Hours of talks in Washington

Nawrocki told the audience he had spent many hours in discussion with President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, secretaries responsible for daily life in the United States, and American business leaders. In those meetings, he said, Poland consistently appeared as a model ally, a country developing economic, technological, and trade ties, and the nation that after 1989 underwent the fastest, most dynamic, and most effective economic transformation.

“I wanted to convince you that as president of the Republic of Poland, remaining in such excellent relations with the president of the United States, I discussed for many hours with President Trump, with Vice President J.D. Vance, with secretaries responsible for everyday life in the US, with American business.”

Shared heritage and shared values

The president invoked the common founding fathers of independence, Kazimierz Pułaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko, and noted the Kościuszko monument on Florida soil. He thanked Saturday-school teachers and students who preserve the Polish language, arguing that language, values, shared history, and common heritage define the nation beyond mere borders. Nawrocki also pointed to Christian values as a binding force, particularly resonant at the John Paul II Centre, and highlighted the growing presence of Polish businesses on Florida's economic landscape.

The trip's arc

Nawrocki arrived in the United States on Saturday evening. The itinerary combined the ceremonial, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and Trump's 80th birthday, with the diplomatic, including Capitol Hill conversations. The Clearwater address served as the capstone, translating high-level Washington talks into a direct message for the diaspora that the president described as the connective tissue of the alliance.