Hegseth limits the reporting on Pentagon – DW – 24.05.2025

In his first military opening speech of his second term, President Donald Trump congratulated West Point Cadets on her academic and physical achievements.

“In a few moments, they will graduates from the elite and the most famous military academy in human history,” said Trump at the ceremony in the Michie Stadium.

“And they become officers of the largest and most powerful army that the world ever knew,” added Trump, while wrongly claiming that he had rebuilt the military.

In February, Trump released the chairman of the joint chief of staff Air Force General CQ Brown to fulfill the military leadership. Five other admirals and generals were also pushed out.

With regard to the rollback of the politics of diversity, justice and inclusion (Dei), Trump said that the task of the US armed forces “does not exist to change the pulling shows to change foreign cultures”.

“The military's job is to dominate every enemy and to destroy every threat to America everywhere, at any time,” he said.

He said he had the military of transgender ideas, “critical racial theory” and training, which he described as split and politically.

In an allusion to the tradition of the President, Trump also pardoned about half a dozen cadets who were exposed to disciplinary violations.