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Trump Addresses the West Point Class of 2025, May 24, 2025

May 24, 2025 · The White House · 1:16:50

Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube

What happened

President Donald Trump addressed the graduating class of the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 24, 2025, carried in full on the White House channel. Superintendent Lieutenant General Stephen Gillen introduced “the 1,002 outstanding cadets of the class of 2025 as they graduate and commission as the newest officers and leaders of character in your United States Army,” as he stated the class size. The President told the cadets: “In a few moments, you’ll become graduates of the most elite and storied military academy in human history. And you’ll become officers in the greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known. And I know because I rebuilt that army and I rebuilt the military,” as he stated the claim, adding: “You have to have victory, after victory, after victory. And that’s what you’re going to have as you receive your commissions as second lieutenants.”

The President singled out the class’s distinctions as he listed them: 26 cadets wearing the Star Wreath for the highest academic achievement; four Rhodes Scholars, “tied for the most of any West Point class since 1959,” as he stated the mark; cadets who designed and launched a hypersonic rocket; Cadet Chris Verdugo, whom he called to the stage for completing an 18.5-mile march in 2 hours 30 minutes, “smashing the international record for the competition by 13 minutes,” as he stated the record; and cadets Megan Cooper and Clara Sebu, “the first two women in West Point history to complete Diver School,” as he named them. He closed the honors with a traditional act of clemency: “In keeping with tradition, I hereby pardon all cadets on restriction for minor conduct offenses effective immediately,” as he announced the pardon.

Why it matters

This commencement address is the Commander-in-Chief’s charge to the first West Point class commissioned under his second term: the rebuilt-military claim, the victory standard, and the class’s record marks — Rhodes Scholars, the rocket team, and the Diver School first — all stated by the President on the field.

Scoreboard watch

This address is a scoreboard reference point: the President’s May 24, 2025 pardon of cadets on restriction and his statement that he rebuilt the Army and the military, each as stated by the President, to be checked against the academy and readiness records.

Sources: The White House, “President Trump Addresses the Army Academy’s Class of 2025” (official upload, embedded above). Duplicate full uploads and White House clips of the same address are recorded as alternates in the index. All figures and characterizations as stated by the President and by academy officials.