This is an excerpt of President Donald J. Trump's commencement-style address to the West Point Class of 2025 (May 25, 2025). In the provided passage he praises cadets for choosing a life of service, emphasizes the military’s mission — phrased forcefully as dominating foes and annihilating threats to America — and invokes West Point tradition and pride.
Chapters
Every cadet on the field before me should savor this morning because this is a day that you will never ever forget. You could have done anything you wanted. You could have gone anywhere. You could have gone to any school. This is one of the hardest schools to get into. Instead of sports teams and spreadsheets and software, you chose a life of service. The job of the US Armed Forces is not to host dragons shows, to transform foreign cultures or to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun. The military's job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America anywhere, anytime. West Point cadets don't just have the brightest mind. You also have the bravest hearts and the noblest souls are amazing people. I could not be more proud Proud to serve you as your commander in chief. Each of you continues down the same hallowed path walked by titans and legends of US Military law. America's army has never failed us and with leaders like the west point Class of 2025 the army will never. It.