Trump praises West Point graduates, touts 'golden age' of US military in commencement speech
President Donald Trump spoke before this year's U.S. Military Academy graduates as their commencement speaker on Saturday amid the administration's crackdown on diversity initiatives and removal of key military leaders.
Trump addressed the crowd while wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat and brought a few graduates on the stage as he praised their achievements.
"You are the first West Point graduates of the golden age of America," he told the graduates, whom he repeatedly called "winners," to cheers from the crowd.
The president stressed his administration's agenda to the graduating class, emphasizing his desire to build in America and expressing his commitment to national security and border protection, including the "Golden Dome" missile defense system Trump announced this week.
"It will be completed before I leave office. And you know you wouldn't think this, but our enemies are very unhappy about it," he said.
Trump also took the opportunity to tout his administration's accomplishments and "Golden Age" agenda, reflecting on themes of patriotism, strength and leadership. He also bashed his predecessors, including former President Joe Biden, for what he said was disrespecting the military.
"Each of you is entering the officer corps at a defining moment in the Army's history," he said. "For at least two decades, political leaders from both parties have dragged our military into missions. It was never meant to be.
"In some case, they sent our warriors on nation-building crusades to nations that wanted nothing to do with us, led by leaders that didn't have a clue in distant lands, while abusing our soldiers with absurd ideological experiments here and at home," he added.
The president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have called for major changes to military academies since assuming office as part of the administration's rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and these changes took center stage in Trump's speech.
"We have liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings," Trump said. "There will be no more critical race theory or transgender for everybody forced onto the brave men and women in uniform, or on anybody else for that matter, in this country. We will not have men playing in women's sports."
In February, shortly after Hegseth was confirmed by the Senate, West Point disbanded several student clubs, including the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, the Latin Cultural Club and the Native American Heritage Forum.
The changes were made "in accordance with recent Presidential Executive Orders, Department of Defense guidance, and the Department of the Army guidance," according to a memo obtained by ABC News.
Also in February, Trump, who avoided being drafted during the Vietnam War due to what he claimed were bone spurs, dismissed the boards of visitors of military academies, claiming without evidence that the schools were "infiltrated by Woke Leftist Ideologues."
This winter, 381 books, many of which were written by Black authors or discussed the history of racism, were removed from U.S. Naval Academy libraries because of an order issued in a Pentagon memo.
The memo mandated that military services were to submit and remove book titles from the libraries of their military educational institutions that touch on diversity, race and gender issues using the Pentagon's specific search terms.
All but 20 of the books that were initially removed were returned this week, according to the school.
Former West Point teachers and other military members have criticized Trump and Hegseth for the orders, contending that such programs did not inhibit the values, training and education of the academies.
"These were brazen demands to indoctrinate, not educate," Graham Parsons, a West Point professor wrote in a May 8 guest essay in the New York Times.
"Whatever you think about various controversial ideas -- Mr. Hegseth's memo cited critical race theory and gender ideology -- students should engage with them and debate their merits rather than be told they are too dangerous even to be contemplated," he added.
Two protests took during the ceremony, one outside West Point's gate and another on the Hudson River involving people on boats and there were no reports of any disturbances.
In his speech, Trump told the cadets to "think big," saying, "You have to do what you love. If you don't love it, you'll never be successful at it."
The president and his Cabinet have promoted their work with the military and attended several events honoring members, in which they have touted high recruiting numbers.
Earlier this month, Trump hosted military mothers at the White House with first lady Melania Trump and second lady Usha Vance to celebrate Mother's Day.
Next month, Trump plans to showcase the military and honor service members with a parade throughout Washington, D.C.
He will join veterans, active-duty troops, wounded warriors, Gold Star families and people from across the country as part of America's 250th birthday celebration.
Organizers intend to commemorate the legacy of the U.S. Army while looking ahead to the next 250 years of American patriotism and the military.
Trump last spoke to the school in 2020, and his appearance drew questions about his health. He was seen slowly walking down a ramp and appeared to have trouble drinking water from a glass while speaking.
The president, who has frequently criticized the health of his Democratic opponents, brushed off the criticism in a post on Twitter, now X.
"The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery," he wrote, despite the weather being sunny during the ceremony.
ABC News' Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.
