UPDATE (May 24, 2025, 11:30 a.m. ET): Did President Donald Trump follow Jeff McCausland’s advice? Watch his full West Point commencement address here.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump delivers the commencement address to the class of 2025 at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Presidents normally deliver graduation remarks at one of our nation’s service academies each year. Trump spoke to the class of 2020 during his first term.
Most speakers hope they might say something graduates will remember in the future, but we must admit that most fail.
Commencement speeches are difficult. They are intended to celebrate the students upon their graduation and offer words of encouragement and guidance as they transition into the next phase of their lives. I imagine most speakers hope they might say something that graduates will remember in future, but we must admit that most fail.
But military academy graduations are unique. Unlike other college graduations, every cadet about to receive a diploma knows what their first job is going to be and where.
I was one of those cadets over 50 years ago and remember the day well. Our speaker was Gen. William Westmoreland, who had recently returned from command in Vietnam and assumed responsibilities as Army chief of staff.
All my classmates were excited that the day we had long awaited had finally arrived. Each of us privately had a bit of trepidation about what the future might bring. We also knew it was the last time we would all be together. So, if I were able to tell Trump or his speechwriters what suggestions might I make?
The president might consider that he will be speaking to two additional audiences in addition to the class of 2025. The first audience includes other cadets who comprise the Corps of Cadets. Roughly half of the corps in attendance will be finishing their first or second year as cadets, but at this moment they’ve made no formal commitment to military service.
After summer training, the rising juniors will return to the academy in the fall and, on the eve of their first day of classes, will take the Oath of Affirmation. This ceremony affirms each cadet’s commitment to complete their final two years at the academy and future service as an active-duty Army officer. Hopefully, Trump’s remarks will inspire them to remain at the academy and accept an obligation of service to the nation.
The president might consider that he will be speaking to two additional audiences in addition to the class of 2025.
The second audience is made up of the graduates’ families. They will be bursting with pride in the accomplishments of their children. At the same time, they know their children will soon deploy to locations around the globe, and in many cases serve in harm’s way in future. Their sacrifices should be acknowledged and honored.
The president will likely tell the class of 2025 that they are graduating at a difficult moment. He might even remind them that they are the true successors of the minutemen who stood on the greens in Lexington and Concord 250 years ago.
But like then, the world today is in turmoil. Recently, Pope Leo XIV in his first Sunday message said the world is experiencing “the Third World War fought piecemeal.” His words are sobering. Many in attendance may fear that these graduates are in a position not dissimilar from that of their predecessors who graduated in the spring of 1941 or received their diplomas around the time when I was a cadet and were then sent into combat in Vietnam.
Furthermore, the world is witnessing a revolution in the conduct of warfare. Modern combat requires the integration of drones, asymmetric warfare, cyber, artificial intelligence, outer space, etc., in conjunction with the traditional domains of land, air and sea. Battlefields in Ukraine as well as the recent conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia have seen large-scale, high-tempo military operations. Victory in the future will be determined by military leaders who not only master their craft but also are able to learn, adapt and innovate quickly throughout their careers. That is what the nation expects and needs them to do. Finally, I hope Trump reminds the graduates that they are joining the profession of arms. It is a profession because it encompasses an abstract body of knowledge that is essential if the nation is going to survive. These graduates are joining the ranks of the 1% of our population who protect the country from foreign threats. They are more inspired by the intrinsic rewards of their service than the extrinsic, and he should tell them that they should take enormous pride in that. I hope Trump reminds the graduates that they are joining the profession of arms. As a professional, their military service must be based on values; ethics, character and integrity are essential. Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf returned to the academy shortly after the Gulf War in 1991. He told the Corps of Cadets at that moment: “To be a 21st-century leader, you must have two things: competence and character.” They are the guardians whom Plato described in “The Republic,” and West Point’s motto of “Duty, Honor, Country” must remain with them for as long as they wear the uniform. The president might even remind them that following his remarks they will swear an oath not to him or any future president, but to the Constitution of the United States. Their service is to the American people and consequently must remain apolitical. They are being entrusted with the nation’s greatest treasure — its sons and daughters — and the burden of command will be heavy. I wish Trump the best of luck with his remarks, but, admittedly, I don’t remember anything Westmoreland said at my West Point graduation. I hope the president can inspire the class of 2025 for at least a few moments of reflection, but I doubt many will long recall what he had to say. It’s unlikely Trump or anyone around him will ever read this. Even if he did, I doubt he’d find my recommendations of any use. But at a minimum, I hope he realizes that Saturday’s commencement is about the graduates, the other cadets in attendance and their families. It’s not about him.
Jeff McCausland
Jeff McCausland, a retired Army colonel, is a visiting professor at Dickinson College. He commanded a battalion in combat, was a member of the National Security Council and was dean of the U.S. Army War College. He is the author of a new book, "Battle Tested! Gettysburg Leadership Lessons," available on Amazon. 
