Donald Trump has applauded the US Military Academy for scrapping its plans to honour “woke” Tom Hanks.

The West Point alumni association was preparing to award the actor with the Sylvanus Thayer Award, which recognises civilians who embody the academy’s motto of “duty, honour, country”.

On Friday, the day Donald Trump ordered the department of defence to be renamed as the department of war, Mark Bieger, president of the West Point association of graduates, emailed members to say that Hanks would no longer be honoured as planned on Sept 25.

“This decision allows the academy 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,” Mr Bieger wrote, according to the Washington Post.

Commending the decision on Monday, Mr Trump said West Point “has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks. Important move! We don’t need destructive, woke recipients getting our cherished American Awards!!!”

In a post on his Truth Social platform, he added: “Hopefully the Academy Awards, and other fake award shows, will review their Standards and Practices in the name of Fairness and Justice. Watch their dead ratings surge!”

West Point’s decision represents a sudden change of heart.