Trump Delivers West Point Commencement Speech, Announces ‘Colossal Buildup’ Of Armed Forces

President Donald Trump praised the next generation of Army officers and unveiled a vision to expand America’s military in his commencement address at West Point Saturday.

“You are the first West Point graduates of the Golden Age of America,” Trump told the 1,002 cadets, who will be commissioned as second lieutenants. “You are winners, every single one of you.”

Wearing his “Make America Great Again” hat, the 78-year-old commander-in-chief took aim at decades of military policy, denouncing the “nation-building crusades” of previous administrations. Without naming names, Trump condemned leaders from both parties who, he said, “dragged our military into missions it was never meant to be in.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Army Hit With Lawsuit After Stonewalling Inquiries Into West Point’s Removal Of Iconic Mission Statement)

Democrats are livid because President Trump wore a “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” hat during his West Point commencement speech.

They hate America. pic.twitter.com/B0VbUJlemG

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) May 24, 2025

“All of that is ended,” Trump said. “We’re getting rid of the distractions and focusing our military on its core mission: crushing America’s adversaries, killing America’s enemies, and defending our great American flag.”

A major highlight of the address was Trump’s announcement of a “colossal buildup” of the U.S. Armed Forces, including a $1 trillion budget proposal and the development of a new “Golden Dome” missile defense system. He vowed to rebuild America’s military “like nobody’s ever rebuilt it before,” promising victory after victory for the next generation of soldiers.

He also recognized top-performing cadets — Rhodes scholars, Star Wreath recipients, and the academy’s first two female diver school graduates — and brought them on stage.

Trump also took swipes at what he described as “social projects and political causes” that have infiltrated the military. “The job of the U.S. armed forces is not to host drag shows, but to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America anywhere, anytime,” he said.

Returning from a recent Middle East trip, Trump said America is once again respected on the world stage. “I’d rather make peace than fight, but I want our enemies to fold without a fight — and that’s happening,” he said.

“I went through more investigations than Al Capone… You’ve got to fight hard. Don’t let bad people take you down,” he added.

Trump closed by telling the new officers: “I could not be more proud to serve you as your commander-in-chief.”