On May 24, 2025, President Donald Trump addressed the graduation ceremony for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he delivered a speech that blended scripted remarks with unscripted, partisan commentary.
Wearing a bright red ‘Make America Great Again’ campaign hat, Trump utilized the platform to hit on familiar political talking points, including sharp criticisms of former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, derogatory remarks about immigrants, and proclamations about his own policy achievements during his time in office.
Such overt partisanship in a military setting, particularly among an audience of cadets and their families—many of whom have military backgrounds—is considered highly unusual in the United States.
Numerous articles from The Conversation U.S. have explored the critical necessity of maintaining a clear separation between military service and partisan politics, emphasizing how this principle underpins American democracy.
Cadets at West Point are instilled with the responsibility to uphold the Constitution.
During the graduation, these young leaders reaffirmed their oath to ‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.’
This commitment is central to their education, reinforced by the teachings of experienced Army officers like Joseph G. Amoroso and Lee Robinson, who serve as professors at the academy.
Amoroso and Robinson underscored the importance of this oath, which they describe as the foundation of a nonpartisan ethos within military service.
They remind cadets that their allegiance should lie with the Constitution and the American populace, rather than with a specific individual or political party.
This belief holds a core role in shaping military professionals who are expected to exercise their expertise and judgment autonomously rather than align with a political agenda.
In a further analysis, retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Samuel C. Mahaney noted that the military’s long-standing dedication to serving the nation rather than a political figure is a tradition that dates back to George Washington’s presidency.
Mahaney expressed concern that Trump’s actions, especially during his second term, may challenge this historic precedent.
Such changes could force military personnel to reconsider crucial questions regarding loyalty to the Constitution and their professional obligations.
He expressed discomfort with the notion that military orders could be perceived as crossing legal or constitutional boundaries.
Historically, the framers of the Constitution prioritized the separation of military and political action to prevent scenarios reminiscent of the military occupations witnessed during the Revolutionary War.
As explained by Marcus Hedahl and Bradley Jay Strawser, military ethicists from the U.S. Naval Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School, the Constitution mandates that the President, as an elected civilian leader, serve as the commander in chief of the military.
Following World War II, this separation was even reinforced as Congress required the Secretary of Defense to also be a civilian.
Hedahl and Strawser emphasized that the military was always intended to function as ‘the people’s military’ rather than merely as ‘the president’s.’
As calls for military independence in the face of political pressures intensify, concerns have grown regarding the preservation of the integrity and stability of American democracy.
As the West Point ceremony illustrated, the confluence of military service and political partisanship poses significant challenges to the military’s mission and ethos, warranting a discussion about the lessons learned from history and the values that should guide future military personnel.
image source from：https://theconversation.com/trumps-west-point-speech-brought-partisanship-to-the-home-of-the-us-military-3-essential-reads-257673
