Trump Hijacks West Point Graduation to Rant About 'Drag Shows'

[Galraedia]

Source: Daily Beast

President Donald Trump ranted to a captive audience of graduating West Point cadets about military drag shows, urging the students to focus on killing America’s enemies.

“The job of the U.S. armed forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures, but to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun,” the president said. “The military’s job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America anywhere, anytime, and anyplace.”

While college commencement addresses are usually a chance to celebrate the graduates’ achievements, the more than a thousand West Point cadets and their families were treated to a recounting of Trump’s war on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the military.

The president accused previous military leadership of “abusing our soldiers with absurd ideological experiments here and at home.”

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-hijacks-west-point-graduation-to-rant-about-drag-shows/

---

According to Trump, the job of the U.S. armed forces is to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun...because nothing says "democracy" like a gun pointed at your face.

[Paladin]

1. Looking forward to the media taking a short break from the non-stop Biden bashing...

...to give detailed analysis and criticism of trump's drooling, lunatic "commencement address" to those unfortunate West Point grads and their families. Ought to start, just any time now...

[Eliot Rosewater]

3. Why criticize a Nazi fascist when you can go

After a A decent man.

Remind me of my progressive friend, who said Biden was as bad as the piece of shit and would not vote for him because of Gaza, un fucking believable how stupid that is!

[Paladin]

10. Who would have dreamed this country would be this stupid?

Giving trump a second reign in the White House, with plenty of extra lunacy and hatred thrown in. "Stupid" doesn't begin to cover it...

[whathehell]

14. Nope, approximately half of the country voted

against him.

Trump won by less than 1.5 percentage points, and that's if you believe there was no cheating, a dubious assumption in my view.

it's still too many, of course, but not enough to indict the whole country.

[ananda]

11. Not only that, but look now at the way Nazism now works.

Trump is totally allied with Netanyahu -- so when
Gaza is totally depopulated, Jared can go in and
"rebuild" it.

Yet he also leads the new Nazi party here, which
is totally antisemitic.

Thus, the only rhyme and logic to anything that
is now going on is a mob boss mentality looking
only for profiteering and the creation of an all
white male oligarchy, taking over every place
and institution everywhere..

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. Shut your mouth you fucking piece of shit

[hamsterjill]

15. +1000

I couldn't have said it better.

[twodogsbarking]

4. The irony. Trump lecturing intelligent graduates a the military academy.

What's next. Telling Kid Rock how to do drugs?

[BoRaGard]

5. What a weenie

Could not expect better from a five time republicon draft dodging felon-rapist

No honor

no dignity.

No respect.

[CurtEastPoint]

6. "spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun" Yep, that wins hearts and minds.

[3catwoman3]

7. I can't believe he's wearing that stupid fucking MAGA baseball cap...

...while delivering a commencement address at a military academy.

He's such a rube.

[Collimator]

8. "The job of the U.S. armed forces is [. . .] to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun," .

. . . This is not unlike the Conquistadors who spread Christianity with firepower-- through the use of gun powder and just straight up burning people.

Faith of any kind, including faith in democracy, has to come from a sincere inner conviction. Without consent, you can only enforce obedience; you cannot elicit cooperation.

Democracy is a cooperative enterprise or it is not democracy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. I take back my claim about what he said

On edit:

Some have transcribed it as "or to", not "but no", eg https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-slams-military-drag-shows-and-social-projects-in-west-point-speech-those-days-are-over/

and I thought this video backed that up - at 22m30s or so:

(He sounds incredibly bored by the faff of having to give a speech. )

But the more I listen, the more I can see that "but" may be what he said. And the subtitles on "the White House" Instagram account have "but".

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKDpjcsxgbL/

[Ocelot II]

12. "To spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun"?

If you have to spread it at gunpoint it's not democracy.

[demosincebirth]

13. Spread Democracy???

[hamsterjill]

16. How is it?

That ANYONE can listen to this moron speak for 30 seconds, and still be worried about Joe Biden's mental capacity!

[Skittles]

17. because they don't hear it

they get a very whitewashed version on it from the bootlicking press

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-trump-west-point-military-commencement-address/

[angrychair]

18. Who cares anymore

The military has already sold its soul to Mango Mussolini. Those are military flights taking innocent people to foreign torture prisons.
When the Mango Mussolini talks about "America's enemies" he means actual Americans. He means us.
I used to think that maybe they would save us if things got real bad but I've come to realize that was a fantasy. The reality is they are all in for dictatorship. Barring something I hadn't considered, I would say we are very nearly done.
The birthday "parade" is when things will likely take a turn for the worse as they execute permanent military control over DC.

[Grins]

19. Shorter: "The job of the U.S. armed forces is to spread democracy at the point of a gun."

Mao couldn't have said it better.

[Grins]

20. When I was commissioned...

I hated that my commissioning certificate would have the name "Richard M. Nixon" on it.

I can't imagine the horror of having one with "Donald J. Trump."

[czarjak]

21. "What's the big deal about Pearl Harbor?"

He had to ask. Has no business being CIC!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

22. I like POTUS who shakes the hands of each military academy graduate at a graduation cermony

trump gave a horrible speech and then left without shaking the hands of each graduate. Presidents Obama and Biden each took the time to shake the hand of each graduate

When President Obama spoke at the 2014 West Point commencement ceremony he shook the hand of every single graduate after his speech. Today, Donald Trump gave a speech while wearing a MAGA hat and then left without shaking any hands

— Marco Foster (@marcofoster.bsky.social) 2025-05-24T22:49:12.476Z

I like Presidents who don’t use West Point as a political prop.

— Protect Kamala Harris ✊ (@disavowtrump20.bsky.social) 2025-05-24T18:20:02.178Z

President Biden spent 70 minutes congratulating, saluting and shaking the hand of each one of the 1,036 West Point graduates, plus gave his speech, but it’s not worth any commentary by the media.
So you know he did well.

— LynneMcCartney (@lynnemccartney.bsky.social) 2024-05-27T04:01:20.959Z

Link to tweet

Trump has time to host a dinner for the rich crypto guys who bought his memecoin, but not to shake hands with West Point graduates. Priorities.

— Republicans Against Trumpism (@rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social) 2025-05-24T20:51:34.012Z

[Javaman]

24. If I were a graduate , I would be thankful not having to shake his hands

For fear of catching something

[Javaman]

23. I have been trying to nail just what is about the orange asshole

That drive me nuts. Then it came to me, he’s an ignoramus

[YoshidaYui]

25. FUCK DONALD TRUMP

[True Dough]

26. No one drags down a grad ceremony

like Don the Con.

[Johonny]

27. The best part is JD Vance is a drag queen

[Galraedia]

29. He has also had several name changes and was born James Donald Bowman

[guss]

28. Trump only salutes who he respects

Trump in his first term saluted North Korean generals. shook hands,
he saluted and shook hand in Russia.
Saudi Arabia he shook hands and saluted everyone.
But Fires all of our generals and disrespects the Armed Forces.
Who is he working for. or who is paying him to play as commander in chief

[Norrrm]

31. Salutes Saudi and NK generals

[wolfie001]

30. Stupid republican voters elected this draft evader

What a bunch of pigs. He gets a free pass cause his dad was rich. His dad wasn't quite the psychopath as this mf'er.

[Grins]

41. "His dad wasn't quite the psychopath as this mf'er. "

Oh, yes he was. The son of a brothel keeper was just as mean, cruel, racist, and sadistic. Writers who knew the old bastard - to include his own granddaughter - say it all began with Fred Sr.

Note also: Five days from today marks the 98th anniversary of his "father" getting arrested at a Klan march/riot in New York. The family must be so proud...

[wolfie001]

43. I know my take was gonna hit like a cracked cymbal

But I think donald dump is one of the worst Americans ever. The fact that his dad is 1/2% less evil isn't really saying much.

[jmowreader]

32. Heard in the stands..

Trump: "The military's job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America anywhere, anytime and anyplace."

Cadet 1: "Does that mean he just gave us permission to shoot him?"

Cadet 2: "Sure sounds like it."

[dflprincess]

33. I have a strong feeling that my dad, had he been here to hear this speech,

would have classed it as "the kind of thing someone who never saw a day of combat would say".

[Sessuch]

34. MAGA helmet

The Commander- in-Chief acting like a high school kid wearing a baseball cap.

[orleans]

35. my understatement: HE'S FUCKING NUTS! nt

[sheshe2]

36. I actually suffered through a clip of his 'speech'.

Incoherent rambling from an unwell man. His eyes were closed as he slouched on the podium. He also spoke of the of the late great Al Copone, whined that he was investigated more than Al and then he segued to trophy wives??? He received a few half hearted and delayed claps. When it was over someone came up to him and tried very hard to explain to him that he then had to move to the front of the stage to be see, or whatever.

He was an embarrassment to the West Point graduates and to our country. There is NO THERE there anymore.

He left before the ceremony was over and blew off shaking their hands.

FFS the man is completely disfunctionl.

[Snoopy 7]

37. says the coward

Says the coward who sent others to fight and die in a war he got fake deferments from... If he is your type of leader you really got to look in the mirror and question you judgement.

[CTyankee]

38. My uncle wenrt to West Point just in time for WW2

The family had no money for a college education, even tho he was a gifted student, excelling in math. He served in Iran, guarding the oil which was crucial for keeping safe oil production for the war effort. After the war he went home to Texas to teach high school math. His was but one story of how a college education, paid for by the U.S. government, was pulled out of poverty protected our freedoms as a country and his future as a productive member of society. That is my family's West Point story.

[democrank]

39. There isn't a millionth of a gram of integrity in Trump's body.

Democracy “at the point of a gun” isn’t democracy.

[travelingthrulife]

40. I can't believe he actually said that the job of the military was to spread democracy at the point of a gun.

That is far worse than ranting about drag queens. Our media is so bad.

[Clouds Passing]

42. Dumping rain on the graduate's parade.

Pray for shitty weather in dc on 6-15

[DallasNE]

44. Is There A Copy Of The Speech Available To The Public

That can be compared to the speech he gave? The differences should give us a glimpse of the mental decline. For instance, I can't imagine a President putting lines is a speech to graduating West Point cadets about drag queens, etc.