Topline
President Donald Trump praised the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for canceling an award ceremony meant to honor Tom Hanks, slamming the actor as “WOKE” amid accusations that the school’s alumni association made the decision for political reasons.
“We don’t need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Monday morning, praising West Point for “smartly” cancelling Hanks’ award ceremony.
Trump’s post came days after West Point’s alumni association told faculty it would no longer hold an awards ceremony bestowing Hanks with the Sylvanus Thayer Award, meant to honor non-West Point graduates who exemplify the school’s ideals of duty, honor and country.
The announcement prompted some veterans and Democratic politicians to accuse the institution of canceling the ceremony for political reasons, as Hanks has previously criticized Trump and fundraised for former President Joe Biden.
Major General Paul Eaton, who commanded training of troops during the U.S. invasion of Iraq, posted on X Monday morning: “My Alma Mater, West Point, and like America, has been hijacked by MAGA by repudiating Tom Hanks. A new low.”
Trump, in his post, also attacked the Oscars and other “Fake Award Shows,” urging them to “review their Standards and Practices in the name of Fairness and Justice.”
Forbes has reached out to the West Point Association of Graduates for comment (The Washington Post, which first reported on the ceremony’s cancellation, said the alumni association did not respond to requests for comment, and that Hanks could not be reached).
Retired Col. Mark Bieger, president and CEO of West Point’s alumni association, said in a statement to faculty the cancellation would allow the institution to “continue its focus on its core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win as officers in the world’s most lethal force, the United States Army.” It is unclear whether Hanks’ award has been revoked entirely, or if he will be presented the award in a different format. West Point’s alumni association had announced in June that Hanks would receive the award on Sept. 25, citing the actor’s advocacy for veterans and portrayal of army troops in film. Amy McGrath, a Marines veteran and Democratic challenger to Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in 2020, accused the academy of canceling the ceremony “because [Hanks] doesn’t align with Trump.” Trump has also wielded influence over West Point in his second term, signing an executive order in January that barred educational institutions operated by the Armed Forces from promoting “un-American” ideas, including “gender ideology” and that “America’s founding documents are racist or sexist.” West Point also rescinded a job offer to Jen Easterly, a former Biden administration cybersecurity official, in July amid complaints from Trump loyalist Laura Loomer.
Trump’s criticism of award shows comes hours after “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won its first-ever Emmy Award after 33 total nominations, taking the prize for best directing for a variety series. The victory comes months after CBS said the show would be canceled for financial reasons, though many interpreted it to be a political decision to secure federal approval for its merger with Skydance. The cancellation also followed the network’s settlement with Trump, who had sued over what he alleged was a deceptively edited “60 Minutes” interview of his election opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump had celebrated Colbert’s cancellation in a Truth Social post in July: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.” Colbert, already a frequent Trump critic, responded to Trump on air: “Go f— yourself.”
Colbert could win an Emmy at this weekend’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, where he is nominated for best talk series alongside Trump critics Jon Stewart, for the Daily Show, and Jimmy Kimmel, for his ABC late-night show.
‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Wins First-Ever Emmy in Wake of Cancelation (Variety)