United States: During his inaugural military commencement address since reassuming the presidency, Donald J. Trump took center stage at the US Military Academy to honor the graduating cadets and assert the transformation he led within America’s armed forces.
“You will serve as officers in what is indisputably the mightiest Army in the annals of human conflict,” Trump proclaimed. “And I can declare this with confidence—because I resurrected it. We brought our military from the ashes, rebuilt it to an unprecedented stature—like no one had ever dared before.”
Donned in his emblematic crimson “Make America Great Again” cap, the president pivoted to a narrative of America’s evolving military doctrine and the ideological course correction he has spearheaded—echoing declarations made earlier in his Middle East discourse.
“For twenty years or more, bipartisan leadership hurled our forces into entanglements that defied logic or purpose,” Trump said. “People would look around and ask, ‘Why? Why are we squandering treasure, time, and blood?’ Our troops were dragged into nation-forging fantasies for lands that spurned us—governed by fools. At home, they endured bizarre ideological testing. That era is over. Totally over. Decisively ended. It’s not even open for debate anymore,” according to CBS News.
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— SweetPeaBelle (@SweetPeaBell326) May 24, 2025
“POTUS at West Point: Every cadet on the field before me should savor this morning — because this is a day you will never forget. In a few moments, you will become graduates of the most ELITE and storied military academy in human history.” pic.twitter.com/fU7JTx7WKO
Trump’s previous address at West Point occurred in 2020 amidst a national upheaval following the death of George Floyd. At that juncture, his speech centered around lauding the National Guard for upholding civil order and extolled the military’s legacy in abolishing slavery’s stain.
In that same year, nine graduates implored West Point leadership to embed anti-racism education within its framework, arguing the academy failed to cultivate leaders equipped for an increasingly multifaceted society.
Now, under directives from Trump’s renewed tenure, the academy has aligned itself with an executive edict that extinguishes all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) undertakings within the military. As of February, West Point has shuttered more than a dozen identity-based cadet groups, including collectives such as the Asian-Pacific Forum Club and the Society of Women Engineers.
This decree prohibits any preferential treatment predicated on race or gender within military echelons and has tasked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with auditing existing DEI schemes. Trump, true to his campaign refrain, reiterated his pledge to eliminate “woke generals” and to reinstitute a hierarchy grounded strictly in merit, as reported by CBS News.
On Saturday, Trump underscored that Critical Race Theory had been expunged from the military academy syllabi.
“We are scrubbing away the distractions and channeling our forces toward their core imperatives—obliterating America’s adversaries, vanquishing threats, and reverently shielding our flag as never before,” he intoned.
He also touted a surge in enlistment figures, asserting a historic turnaround.
While X is glitching. Im watching President Trump talking to West Point Grads. Congratulations to the class of 2025 of US Military Academy at West Point. pic.twitter.com/IG3Qd47Kop
— 🇺🇸DELIA🇺🇸 (@thing_workin) May 24, 2025
“After persistent droughts in recruitment, with the final Biden year marking an all-time low, we’ve now eclipsed every peacetime record. Morale has skyrocketed. The tide has turned.”
However, an investigation by CBS News suggests that recruitment began recovering prior to Trump’s reelection, attributing the rebound partly to overhauls initiated during Joe Biden’s presidency. Despite Trump’s claims, the so-called “Trump Bump” in enlistments may owe more to structural reforms than presidential charisma.
Trump’s remarks followed an address by Vice President JD Vance—a Marine Corps veteran—at the US Naval Academy. There, Vance emphasized the administration’s break from “forever wars,” vowing that American troops would never again be deployed absent explicit, tangible mission objectives.
In anticipation of Memorial Day, Vance honored the fallen by recounting the valor of Major Megan McClung, a fellow Marine officer killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq.
“She was fierce, intelligent, and unwavering,” Vance said. “She embodied everything a warrior should be,” according to CBS News.
He concluded with a note of unity: “Even if we don’t see eye-to-eye politically, I stand with each of you.”
Among the 1,002 cadets stepping into commissioned service this year, 14 hail from foreign nations, including Kosovo, Qatar, and Poland.
Former President Joe Biden delivered the 2024 commencement speech, where his focus centered on global tensions and the importance of upholding democratic ideals. Biden underscored unwavering support for Ukraine, urged de-escalation in the Middle East, and reminded graduates that their ultimate allegiance is not to any individual—but to the US Constitution.
