[By Guancha Observer Network, Shao Yun]

On May 24th local time, US President Trump delivered a speech at the graduation ceremony of the United States Military Academy at West Point, fiercely attacking the "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)" policies, and boasting that he has "reconstructed" the American military, returning it to its "America First" "core mission".

According to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters on the 24th, Trump wore his iconic red MAGA (Make America Great Again) baseball cap that day and attended the graduation ceremony of the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York State. The report stated that during his less than one-hour speech, Trump commended and encouraged the graduates, but also spent considerable time expressing dissatisfaction with current cultural and political issues, creating an atmosphere that leaned towards a "campaign speech".

On May 24th, 2025, West Point, New York, USA, US President Trump arrived at the United States Military Academy at West Point to deliver a speech at the graduation ceremony of the Class of 2025. Visual China.

Trump criticized previous US administrations for "subjecting the military to various social programs and political claims while neglecting border defense, exhausting our arsenal to fight wars for other countries." However, "all of this has ended, and it has ended in a powerful way." Trump claimed that this was because he had "reconstructed" the American military since his first term.

"In just a moment, you will become graduates of the most elite and legendary military academy in human history, and you will become officers of the greatest and most powerful army in the world." Trump said, "You are the first graduates of West Point Academy in America's golden age... We are entering a new era, and you will lead the military to unprecedented greatness."

According to Trump's statement, the American military in the "new era" will focus on its "core mission," which is to "crush America's opponents, eliminate America's enemies, and defend our great American flag in ways never seen before." He claimed that America had once been "cheated by all countries in the world in trade" and "cheated by NATO allies in defense spending," but such incidents will no longer happen in the future.

It was reported that Trump also took the opportunity to vigorously promote his $175 billion "Golden Dome" missile defense system plan,号称 capable of intercepting any missile, as well as the so-called "$1 trillion military budget." This figure is equivalent to nearly a 13% increase over the previous fiscal year, and if approved by Congress, it would be the highest annual defense budget in U.S. history to date.

However, on the 24th, The Hill pointed out that according to a Republican aide in the Senate, the White House actually only proposed $89.3 billion in discretionary defense spending for 2026, meaning that the remaining portion of Trump's $1 trillion would be supplemented through a Republican-led budget reconciliation mechanism. The "Golden Dome" plan has faced widespread skepticism regarding its feasibility, cost, and potential to trigger a new arms race.

While Trump was delivering his speech, at least two protest activities were held around the ceremony. According to USA Today and the Associated Press, protesters began gathering outside the school hours before Trump arrived. Among about 30 protesters, some waved American flags, while others held signs reading "Support Our Veterans" and "Stop Cutting Funding." Others carried plastic buckets printed with the words "Army加油, Defeat Fascism."

In addition, protesters organized a small fleet of protest boats near the Hudson River close to West Point Academy, clearly visible during the ceremony. The grassroots organization "Joining Forces" that organized the protest expressed opposition to Trump giving a speech at such a place "where American democracy was nurtured."

Since taking office earlier this year, Trump has conducted a "de-diversification" transformation of the military, including banning transgender people from serving, canceling military DEI plans. It was previously reported that both the US Army and Navy have removed pages showcasing the contributions of female soldiers.

West Point Academy has also removed books related to race and gender, canceled relevant course settings, and disbanded more than a dozen interest groups, including one group that cultivated female leaders. According to media reports, the faculty of West Point Academy publicly criticized this as an infringement on academic freedom at the school, and one faculty member resigned as a result.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508192065994605110/

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