President Donald Trump is set to deliver the commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point this Saturday. This event comes on the heels of a significant crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the military, making Trump’s speech a highly anticipated and potentially controversial moment.
The Trump administration, under the leadership of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has overseen sweeping changes to military academies. These changes, which have been widely criticized, include the disbanding of several student clubs focused on race and gender, such as the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers. These actions were justified as being “in accordance with recent Presidential Executive Orders.”
Further fueling the controversy, hundreds of books, many by Black authors or dealing with the history of racism, were removed from the US Naval Academy libraries earlier this year. While many of these books were subsequently reinstated following a Pentagon review, the initial removal sparked outrage and accusations of censorship. The administration’s rationale centered on the removal of materials deemed to promote “woke” ideologies.
The actions taken by the Trump administration have drawn sharp criticism from former West Point professors and military personnel. They argue that the elimination of DEI programs and the removal of books do not enhance the academies’ core values or educational mission, and instead stifle open discourse and critical thinking. One prominent critic, Graham Parsons, a West Point professor, wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed that these actions represented “brazen demands to indoctrinate, not educate,” emphasizing the importance of allowing students to engage with diverse viewpoints rather than shielding them from potentially controversial ideas.
Adding to the already tense atmosphere, two protests are planned during the commencement ceremony: one outside West Point’s gates and another on the Hudson River. These demonstrations highlight the significant public opposition to the administration’s actions and policies.
Trump’s last address to West Point in 2020 raised concerns about his health, after he appeared to struggle walking down a ramp and drinking water. This incident, which he later attributed to the ramp’s steepness and slipperiness, is likely to be revisited in light of the current controversies surrounding his administration’s policies. His appearance this Saturday will undoubtedly be a focal point for both supporters and detractors, promising to be a significant and potentially contentious event.
