Trump Blasts DEI, Touts Military Overhaul in Fiery West Point Address

President Donald Trump delivered a campaign-style speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Saturday, denouncing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, criticizing NATO, and according to Reuters, asserting his influence over the military as he addressed the graduating class of 1,002 cadets.

Wearing a suit and his signature red “Make America Great Again” cap, Trump blended standard commencement advice with partisan talking points, railing against what he described as “divisive political trainings” in the armed forces. “The job of the U.S. Armed Forces is not to host drag shows or transform foreign cultures,” Trump said. “The military’s job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America.”

Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has rescinded several DEI initiatives implemented under former President Joe Biden. On Saturday, he declared that his administration had “liberated” troops from critical race theory and transgender training, saying such programs would no longer be forced on service members or the public.

Trump has also reshaped military leadership, ousting Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown and five other top commanders earlier this year in what analysts have called an unprecedented leadership shake-up.

In his second West Point commencement appearance — the first was in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic — Trump claimed credit for rebuilding the Army and attacked longstanding U.S. alliances. “We’ve been ripped off at the NATO level,” he said. “They don’t rip us off anymore.”

The address comes ahead of Trump’s planned participation in the Army’s 250th anniversary parade on June 14 in Washington — an event that will also mark his birthday. He highlighted his vision for national defense, including a newly approved $175 billion missile defense initiative called the Golden Dome, which he said would shield West Point and the nation from Chinese and Russian threats.

However, defense analysts warn the project could intensify global tensions and spark an arms race in space, as adversaries look to develop countermeasures to bypass the planned shield.

West Point, traditionally committed to apolitical military leadership, offered a backdrop that contrasted sharply with Trump’s partisan tone.