Donald Trump delivered the commencement address to the 2025 graduating class at West Point on Saturday. Speaking to the 1,002 cadets for nearly an hour, Trump, wearing his signature “Make America Great Again” hat, addressed the crowd.
During his speech, he called the U.S. Army the “greatest and most powerful Army the world has ever known.” He further claimed responsibility for the Army’s strength.
“And I know because I rebuilt that army, and I rebuilt the military,” Trump stated. “We rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before in my first term.”
Trump emphasized his “America First” approach, stating the military’s focus would be on “crushing America’s adversaries, killing America’s enemies, and defending our great American flag like it has never been defended before.”
Trump’s speech, reminiscent of his campaign rallies, highlighted both the graduates’ achievements and his own presidency, including his efforts to limit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
West Point has been a focal point of the backlash against DEI, particularly concerning the banning of books and educational programs that the Trump Administration believes promote DEI.
In February, multiple clubs listed under “” groups in the club directory were shut down, following Trump’s Jan. 20 titled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” and a Jan. 21 Executive Order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” A subsequent from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new task force.
“I direct the establishment of a multi-functional ‘Restoring America’s Fighting Force’ task force charged with overseeing the Department’s efforts to abolish DEI offices and any vestiges of such offices that subvert meritocracy, perpetuate unconstitutional discrimination, and promote radical ideologies related to systemic racism and gender fluidity,” Hegseth stated.
In addition to clubs, West Point has reportedly removed works by diverse authors from its libraries and eliminated discussions of systemic inequities from its classrooms, leading a West Point professor to say: “I am ashamed to be associated with the academy in its current form.”
Trump addressed his DEI measures during his West Point commencement speech, saying he has “liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political training.”
“There will be no more critical race theory or transgender for everybody, forced onto our brave men and women in uniform or on anybody else, for that matter, in this country,” Trump said. “And promotions and appointments will not be based on politics or identity. They’ll be based on merit…We’re a merit-based country again.”
Trump asserted that his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, had “subjected the armed forces to all manner of social projects,” which he claims is no longer the case. The President’s speech follows the dismissal of individuals known to support DEI efforts and the reinstatement of standards, requiring the same criteria for both men and women. This change in combat role requirements is anticipated to significantly decrease the number of women in those roles.
