May 24 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Saturday called each of the 1,002 U.S. Military Academy graduates "winners" during his commencement address in West Point, N.Y.
The ceremony took place about 50 miles north of New York City at Michie Stadium, which has hosted commencement ceremonies since the 1960s. In 2020, he addressed the cadets in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic at a ceremony that took place at West Point's more open Plain.
"Every cadet in the field before me should savor this morning, because this is a day you will never, ever forget," the commander in chief, who didn't serve in the military, said. "In a few moments, you will become graduates of the most elite and storied military academy in human history, and you will become officers in the greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known.
"And I know because I rebuilt that Army, and I rebuilt the military," said Trump, wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat.
Related
After praising their accomplishments over four years at West Point, Trump told the graduates: "Mission accomplished."
"Great job, but now you have to go on."
Cadets celebrated their transition to commissioned officers by tossing their caps into the air. This tradition began around the end of World War I.
Trump honored veterans at the ceremony, including the parents of graduates.
"Moms and dads: Nearly a third of the cadets graduating today are, themselves, the children of veterans. So to everyone with us this morning who served America in uniform, no matter your age, please stand so we can salute your service," Trump said.
Trump also thanked faculty, staff and graduates for their "outstanding devotion."
Trump brought several West Point grad onstage with him during his commencement speech, including Bryson Daily, the quarterback of the Army football team from 2001 to 2004. He also called up Chris Verdugo, who completed a grueling 18.5-mile march in 2 hours and 30 minutes flat, smashing the international record by 13 minutes.
Trump mentioned Rhodes Scholars and the men's lacrosse team.
Trump pardoned all West Point cadets on restriction for minor offenses, continuing a longstanding tradition of presidents who deliver the commencement address.
"Some of you achieved a different kind of distinction here at the academy," Trump said, calling on seven men "who completed 100 hours of marching for disciplinary -- oh no -- infractions. No, don't tell me I'm doing this. I'm so sorry. Would you like to stand up?"
The cadets who stood up were greeted with cheers and laughter.
The president also described a shift in U.S. foreign policy and military use.
"For at least two decades, political leaders from both parties have dragged our military into missions," Trump said. "It was never meant to be. It wasn't meant to be. People would say, 'Why are we doing this? Why are we wasting our time, money and souls?' In some cases, they sent our warriors on nation-building crusades to nations that wanted nothing to do with us, led by leaders that didn't have a clue in distant lands, while abusing our soldiers with absurd ideological experiments here and at home. All of that's ended. You know that? All of it's ended. It's ended. Strongly ended. They're not even allowed to think about it anymore."
Trump touted a planned "Golden Dome" missile defense system.
"We're building the Golden Dome missile defense shield to protect our homeland and to protect West Point from attack," Trump said. "And it will be completed before I leave office."
The project, which is projected to cost about $175 billion, was inspired by Israel's Iron Dome. The space-based system is capable of defending a country around 450 times larger from advanced ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
Trump noted a record in peacetime military recruiting.
"Today, morale in the Armed Forces is soaring to the highest levels in many decades after years of recruiting shortfalls, and we had years and years of recruiting shortfalls," the president said. "And just last year was the worst of all, the last year of the Biden administration. And right now, just less than a year later, we just set a brand new peacetime recruiting record."
Though numbers have continued to rise under Trump, experts told CBS News the so-called "Trump Bump" -- a term used by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth -- is more likely the result of recruitment reforms introduced during former President Joe Biden's term.
Trump spoke to a diverse class, which includes 14 international cadets. According to West Point, 252 are women -- including the valedictorian, Joanna K. Halfhill.
It's the 45th anniversary of the first class to graduate women. West Point graduated its first class in 1832.
Trump has cracked down on diversity initiatives in the military and higher education.
Some diversity groups have been disbanded, including the Society of Black Engineers and the Latin Cultural Club. Books deemed in violation of Trump's anti-DEI directives have been pulled from libraries at military academies.
Hegseth the goal is to focus on its core mission of warfighting.
Trump has vowed to get rid of "woke" military generals and re-establish a merit-based system. He replaced several top brass, including the leader of the Joint Chief of Staff.
Trump said race theory would no longer be taught at military academies.
"We're getting rid of the distractions, and we're focusing our military on its core mission, crushing America's adversaries, killing America's enemies, and defending our great American flag like it has never been defended before," he said.
Two protests took place nearby, one on boats on the Hudson River and the other at West Point's Thayer Gate.
His first commencement address this year was at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on May 1.
Biden gave the commencement speech at West Point last year, reminding them that their oath is to the U.S. Constitution, not a particular party.
