Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a fiery commencement address at West Point on Saturday, accusing former leaders of turning the armed forces into a "woke Princeton" and weakening the American spirit through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
A Diatribe Against DEI
Speaking in the rain at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York, Hegseth told graduating cadets that past leadership and reforms had weakened the military. He claimed previous officials had transformed the academy into a misguided academic environment.
"We saw woke and weak leaders trying to make West Point look like woke Princeton, which happens to be my long-lost and lost alma mater," Hegseth said.
"They tried to introduce diversity and inclusion studies. They hire professors who advocated for anti-American ideologies right here in these halls, but no more," he said to a muted response from the crowd, arguing that West Point is "special" and "above politics."
"The single dumbest phrase in military history was peddled in our army only a few short years ago. You've all heard it, maybe in your first two years at West Point. Our diversity is our strength. The single dumbest phrase in military history," he said.
"We had generals saying this with a straight face on national television. It was absolute nonsense. Now, these sorts of silly things can be laughed at when they occur in a civilian lounge or civilian faculty lounge, or debated in graduate seminars, but they cannot be tolerated in our formations. These ideas are what get people killed."
Reversing 'Political Correctness'
Hegseth criticized the removal of statues and relocation of historical artwork, declaring that what he called West Point's "slow slide" was over.
"You've seen standards lowered, you've seen an obsession with race and gender, you've seen the watering down of discipline, codes weakened, and traditions tossed aside in the name of political correctness," he said.
"Diversity is not our strength. Unity is our strength," Hegseth declared.
A Trump-Style Pardon
Early in his speech, Hegseth referenced President Donald Trump while announcing a reprieve for cadets who committed "minor infractions or violations." With his best Trump impression, he said they received, "as President Trump might say, 'a complete and total pardon.'"
Many of Hegseth's polarizing remarks received little applause from the West Point crowd.
Recruitment Success and Global Threats
Hegseth said that the Army has reached 61,500 troops after surpassing recruitment goals four months ahead of schedule and predicted the force would grow even stronger by 2027.
He delivered the speech as the U.S. weighs possible renewed military action against Iran amid ongoing negotiations over a potential peace deal. During his remarks, he referenced the military's role in Operation Epic Fury.
"Your soldiers must be ready for anything because the world is only getting more complex. Just look at what our soldiers have done in just the last few months alone. We've asked our airborne and rapid reaction forces to deploy at a moment's notice to the Middle East, standing as an iron shield to protect American bases and American lives from Iranian proxies. This includes American Army units using HIMARS to help sink the Iranian Navy."
"I know the Army loves sinking the Navy. That's the only name, Navy, you're currently allowed to sink," Hegseth joked, nodding to the well-known rivalry between the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy.
At the end of his speech, a cadet president presented Hegseth with a ceremonial saber as the Class of 2026's traditional gift.
