Trump delivers West Point commencement speech, touts military expansion

WEST POINT, NEW YORK, US - MAY 24: U.S. President Donald Trump delivered his first military commencement speech since returning to office, addressing the 2024 graduating class of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Saturday, May 24.Wearing his signature red "Make America Great Again" hat, Trump praised the cadets as future leaders of what he described as the most powerful military force in history. He highlighted his administration's efforts to rebuild and strengthen the armed forces.The president stated that his administration was eliminating unnecessary distractions to refocus the military on its primary objective: decisively defeating adversaries, neutralizing threats to the nation, and ensuring unprecedented protection of American values.He criticized previous administrations for diverting military resources toward social initiatives while, in his view, neglecting border security and depleting military stockpiles in foreign conflicts.Trump outlined a foreign policy approach prioritizing absolute military superiority, emphasizing that the armed forces must be prepared to overpower any opponent and eliminate threats to U.S. interests globally at any time.He expressed confidence that the U.S. military currently commands greater respect than any other armed forces worldwide.Among the 1,002 graduating cadets, 14 were international students representing nations including Kosovo, Qatar, and Poland.(Footage by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)