President Donald J. Trump on Monday reportedly applauded a decision by West Point’s alumni group to cancel an event that would have honored actor Tom Hanks, saying the military academy made the right call in rejecting what he described as “destructive, WOKE” award culture.
“Our great West Point (getting greater all the time!) has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks. Important move!” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We don’t need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards!!! Hopefully the Academy Awards, and other Fake Award Shows, will review their Standards and Practices in the name of Fairness and Justice.”
The West Point Association of Graduates had announced in June that Mr. Hanks would receive the Sylvanus Thayer Award, which the organization says is presented annually to individuals who embody the academy’s motto: “Duty, Honor, Country.”
But earlier this month, the group canceled the event, according to reporting first published by The Washington Post.
The academy said the change would allow West Point to focus on preparing its cadets for their future service rather than hosting the high-profile Hollywood ceremony.
Mr. Hanks, one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, has won multiple Academy Awards and starred in films frequently tied to themes of patriotism and military service, including “Apollo 13” and “Saving Private Ryan.”
He has also produced series such as “Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific,” “Masters of the Air,” and the film “Greyhound.”
Beyond his acting career, Mr. Hanks has worked as a national spokesperson for the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., helped raise funds for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, and launched a coffee company in 2023 called Hanks for Our Troops.
The alumni group cited those contributions when announcing its intent to give him the Thayer Award, but the reversal underscores how Mr. Trump and his allies have pressed the military to distance itself from anything that smacks of “political correctness.”
The decision is part of a broader pattern during Mr. Trump’s tenure, as he has made rolling back diversity and inclusion efforts a central feature of his approach to the armed forces.
The Pentagon, under his leadership, has rescinded initiatives he deemed “woke” and reversed base name changes that had been made because the sites honored Confederate generals.
Just last week, Mr. Trump signed an executive order to formally rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War, contending that the Pentagon had grown too focused on political and cultural battles at the expense of military success. “Wokey,” as he called it, was his explanation for America’s struggles on the battlefield since World War II.
For the president and his supporters, the cancellation of the Hanks award marks another victory in the ongoing campaign to purge the armed forces of symbolism or events tied to Hollywood, celebrity activism, or progressive politics.
For West Point, the decision was presented as a matter of priorities. For Mr. Trump, it was proof that even the nation’s most storied institutions are willing to draw a line against what he calls “fake awards” and “woke” culture.
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