President Donald Trump made a high-profile return to the United States Military Academy at West Point on Saturday, delivering the commencement address to the graduating class of 2025. Sporting his signature “Make America Great Again” hat, Trump energized the crowd of 1,002 cadets with a rally-style speech lasting just under an hour.
Trump praised the U.S. Army as the “greatest and most powerful Army the world has ever known,” taking personal credit for its resurgence. “I know because I rebuilt that army, and I rebuilt the military,” he declared. “We rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before—in my first term.”
Echoing his trademark American-first message, Trump emphasized a renewed focus on the military’s primary mission: “We’re cutting through distractions and focusing on crushing America’s adversaries, defeating our enemies, and defending the American flag like never before.”
The former president didn’t just highlight the accomplishments of the cadets; he also spotlighted his own legacy, including his controversial crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the military.
West Point has been a flashpoint in the DEI debate. In February, the academy disbanded its Society of Black Engineers and several other “affinity” groups, actions linked to Trump’s January executive orders targeting DEI initiatives. The orders—“Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” and “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”—set the tone for the Defense Department’s sweeping changes.
Following these directives, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” task force charged with dismantling DEI offices deemed harmful to meritocracy and accused of promoting divisive ideologies related to systemic racism and gender fluidity.
“I direct the establishment of a multi-functional task force to oversee the Department’s efforts to abolish DEI offices and any remnants that subvert merit, perpetuate unconstitutional discrimination, and promote radical ideologies,” Hegseth said.
Trump’s West Point speech underscored his continued influence on military policy and culture, setting the tone for a military focused squarely on traditional strength and national pride.
