Learn English with Steve Gruber. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at West Point s Class of 2025's Class Day Ceremony. President Trump delivers a message of peace through strength, and stresses the values of the United States military.
00:02:13.400As Marine One exits the stadium, flying over and letting the cadets here know that the commander-in-chief is with them, I think it has been a remarkable day.
00:02:28.360Steve, what was so amazing about his presentation, the president showed so much humanity about bringing cadets up and really bonding with the cadets.
00:02:37.980And then geopolitically making a commitment that culture is destiny, our culture is winning, and we're not going to put people in harm's way, particularly these young second lieutenants, unless we are committed to win the military endeavors, the wars, and the conflicts we're in.
00:03:01.440Let's reflect on Donald Trump's recent journey to the Middle East, to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
00:03:07.980His message as a candidate before November the 5th and through that journey last week and through today is a message of peace through strength.
00:03:17.460We will have the most powerful military in the world.
00:03:19.060We hope not to use it, but you, graduates here, 2025 of West Point, if we do go to war, you'll have the best equipment, the best ability to win, and we will win decisively.
00:03:30.280And again, I come back to the comments about Russia and China.
00:03:32.700And Donald Trump asserting military strength, of course, coming up on June 14th, Flag Day, which is also the president's birthday.
00:03:40.440He will be overseeing a military parade in Washington, D.C. to mark 250 years of the United States military.
00:03:48.340So his kinship, like I said again, is reflecting his remarks, and you're right, the humanity that he brought by recognizing so many cadets and having them up at the podium with him and respecting them and the women that had had great achievement here today in recognizing those women.
00:04:05.200And then Chris, Chris, who is quite an accomplishment, setting a new mark by 13 minutes, but then also being a century man.
00:04:11.560And the whole crowd thought that was good fun.
00:04:15.020The century men who, you know, maybe a little bit more problematic in their time at West Point, but recognizing that is humanity, too.
00:04:21.620You've got people here that are, you know, they're not all the same.
00:04:24.680They're from all walks of life, all corners of this country, and all willing to serve this great nation going forward.
00:04:30.060And I think that was the remarkable thing here today.
00:04:32.020It wasn't a traditional Trump campaign speech or a rally speech.
00:04:35.840It was him connecting with young members of the military, these second lieutenants going forward.
00:04:40.940And I think that he really commanded the audience here today.
00:04:45.860Obviously, it's an audience that likes him, supports him, and as their commander in chief, are with him in that pursuit of peace through strength.
00:05:49.620Chris had beaten the obstacle course at this nighttime run by 12 or 13 minutes.
00:05:55.160And this is an international competition against Sandhurst, against, I think, St. Cyr in France, all the different military academies.
00:06:03.240I think he broke that record by 12 or 13 minutes.
00:06:06.240Then moments later, when President Trump is acknowledging the best and the brightest out of the Corps of cadets, he talks about the sentrymen, which I think have had 100 hours or something of marching for demerits, which calls up people like General Ulysses Grant, Patton, George Custer, Pickett, others who were at the bottom of the class, but great warfighters.
00:09:00.420And I think that's an incredibly important thing you pointed out because this younger generation – you're right.
00:09:05.180Younger people voted for Donald Trump.
00:09:06.480And I can guarantee you the number of people voting in that end zone for Donald Trump, I don't know if it was consensus, but it would be darn close.
00:09:12.200I can assure you of that based on the reaction.
00:09:14.100Every time Donald Trump did something, they were cheering.
00:09:18.180They were cheering the idea of America having the best military.
00:09:20.560And when you talk about increasing equipment and spending, and they were, like I said, by far the most vocal group in this entire stadium all day
00:09:27.560were the young cadets down there in white on the split screen on the left there.
00:09:53.520You see the tradition of the long gray line.
00:09:55.400You're seeing the graduating class, the firsties of what they're called, the senior class, getting their diplomas now,
00:10:01.360really the last evolution for them in this long four, sometimes five years, this incredible grind.
00:10:07.460I can tell you through Mo's experience, it is a grind for these kids to get through all the military and the very high standard academics.
00:10:13.560Academics, like I said, everybody either majors in engineering or minors in engineering.
00:10:18.300So it's a very tough academic process.
00:10:22.560I think what you're seeing, Gruber, is that the DNA of this country, the patriotism, and that's what's so important today.
00:10:29.260And I think it's why President Trump wanted to come in that magnificent speech where he connected with the humanity of the core and the professionalism
00:10:37.560and also had this kind of speech that laid out the fact that he wants peace and prosperity.
00:10:43.220He will do this through partnerships, that it's peace through strength, and people will not – these dictators won't double-cross Trump
00:10:51.600because that's why he had peace in his first term.
00:10:57.720He didn't see anybody trying to go to a violent conflict because they knew President Trump would drop the hammer.
00:11:02.900But I think very, very important, this connection.
00:11:06.320And Steve Gruber, let me have your comments before we go to break.
00:11:09.260We've got a couple of minutes about these kids have been the ones that have come through an education system that has been total propaganda for them.
00:11:16.680These are kids in their late teens, early 20s that are graduating.
00:18:32.280Then they will go and our coverage will wrap up after that.
00:18:35.740And then they will go and change out of their cadet uniforms.
00:18:38.600The last time they wear the uniforms as cadets.
00:18:42.600Uniforms they've worn for four years, sometimes five years.
00:18:45.380And they will change into their military uniforms as second lieutenants, and they will go have their bars put on them in their commissioning ceremony, which is done by family group and smaller groups throughout the day.
00:18:59.260I think, have we lost, I think Mo took off to go down as a board member.
00:19:13.240Any observations on what you've seen today?
00:19:15.920I mean, President Trump, the humanity he had with connecting, President Trump gave an address that was over an hour long, connected with the cadets, tremendous response by the parents and the Corps of cadets.
00:19:28.520And then – but also gave a speech that had, I think, pretty big geopolitical impact, including on a day after he blew out 100 deep staters out of the National Security Council and sent them back to the Pentagon or sent them back to the CIA or DHS or Justice Department.
00:19:52.560I actually think they ought to be sent home permanently, but that's a topic for another day.
00:19:56.800Mo, your observations on what you saw today.
00:20:03.340I thought it was a great speech by President Trump.
00:20:06.320He addressed the Corps of cadets, not only the underclassmen that were sitting in the audience, but the graduating class, what he expected of them, and what he plans to do in these next four years for the military.
00:20:22.020You know, he's going to make sure that they have everything that they need and that this is going to be the strongest military again.
00:20:29.140You know, he rebuilt the military after President Obama weakened it.
00:21:05.240And the fact that his dad's class ring, part of it was melted into this current class's class ring.
00:21:12.980So they will this entire class will carry a part of that.
00:21:15.980Their classmates, their classmates, dad with them in their class ring.
00:21:20.220And I also thought it was pretty cool how President Trump brought up that cadet that completed the ruck march in two hours.
00:21:27.040And then when he asked for the cadets that were part of the century club, which for the audience, if they don't know, it's if you get in trouble and you're forced to walk hours inside, basically inside between the barracks, the asphalt.
00:21:43.960If you have to walk there with your rifle for hours, depending on how many you got.
00:21:49.100Or if you're a athlete like myself, I might have had to sit a few hours.
00:21:54.100But for members that he asked to stand up, they had over 100 hours marching.
00:22:01.440So that cadet that went up there that completed the ruck in two hours was also part of the century club.
00:22:07.060So I thought it was pretty funny that President Trump had a comment about that in his speech as well.
00:22:15.360And also the other thing was the culture culture is destiny and the culture of winning is what he's trying to reinstall and reinstill in America and particularly at the academy.
00:22:26.740He committed never to send these these young people into a conflict that he wasn't prepared to win.
00:22:32.820And he talked about ISIS, which I was there at the time, and Obama told us to take a generation to destroy the caliphate.
00:24:04.880And going to the – these are the 1,000 cadets that are getting their diplomas.
00:24:09.100President Trump spoke for over an hour.
00:24:12.080And I think one of his best addresses I've heard, a mixture of high policy, direction of the country, what he's attempting to do, and had just tremendous humanity.
00:24:25.020And I can tell you, as a parent that has been at one of these graduations, the connection he made with the class is what – you just sit there and go, the sacrifices these kids have made for the last four or five years, plus the sacrifices they're about to be made.
00:24:42.540Remember, this afternoon they're going to be commissioned as second lieutenants right after graduation.
00:24:49.560Do we have – can we let Steve Gruber text him and let's bring Gruber.
00:24:53.740Gruber is actually on the field in Mikey Stadium.
00:24:56.600I can say this, Steve, and I think it's a privilege and an honor to sit here and watch this graduation, 1,002 cadets.
00:25:04.840They started with somewhere just shy of 1,300 when this class embarked on its journey to become the new leaders of the United States military and the United States Army.
00:26:01.300These are high-excelling students, athletes, leaders, people that have all the ingredients to be the next great leaders of the United States military,
00:26:12.060maybe to be instructors here at West Point, maybe to lead America into battle, but maybe to lead us into the peace.
00:26:59.720I would take anybody here in my foxhole, to be honest with you, as we head into this next critical phase of American history and world history.
00:27:07.820Look, a lot of ignition points right now, be it China or Russia or Ukraine or Iran.
00:27:15.160We have a lot of places where conflict could begin.
00:27:18.480And hopefully this president heading back to work on peace can get us there.
00:27:24.860But these cadets, they're here standing ready, willing, and able to do whatever it takes to defend this country in an America first world.
00:28:16.400Steve, to springboard a little bit off of what Maureen mentioned about women in combat.
00:28:20.960You know, West Point has a really rich tradition with women in combat, especially our first combat veteran.
00:28:26.360It comes from the Revolutionary War, and this is a really great untold story that I uncovered in my next book.
00:28:32.420It's Margaret Corbett who is in the paddle of Fort Washington on November 16, 1776.
00:28:38.600The fort's surrounded, and they have the first Pennsylvania – they have a battery of cannon.
00:28:44.660And she's next to her husband, and he is manning the gun, and he's wounded, and she takes over for him and mans the gun and keeps it firing.
00:28:53.140But in the process, she's very critically wounded, almost to the point of a mortal wound.
00:28:58.480And she recovers, but she is in the Corps of Invalids at West Point.
00:29:02.640She is a member of the U.S. military at West Point during the war, and she is the first woman to receive a military pension from the United States government.
00:29:15.240By the way, right there, I think that might be the tradition of the anchorman of last in the class.
00:29:23.840And remember, some of the best combat leaders we've had have been the people that are at the bottom of the class.
00:29:29.200In fact, I was at one of Moe's – her firsty dinner that starts the first year, and they had like two or three generals had shown up from Iraq and asked the cadets of the bottom of the class to stand up, the bottom 100.
00:29:44.840And they said all three of us were in the bottom 100.
00:30:06.960Why has West Point been so central to – even before the academy was built, the reason the academy is built there is for a reason.
00:30:15.380Why was it so important for General Washington and the revolution to the degree that Benedict Arnold made a deal with the British behind the scenes under the table to give it back to them?
00:30:27.100What is it about West Point that was actually almost legendary even before the academy came in 1802?
00:30:38.660Basically, whoever controls the Hudson River would control – be able to divide the colonies, a large portion of the northern colonies and part of the southern colonies from New York.
00:30:49.100And if you recall back in 1777, the British plan was to divide that by coming down from Canada.
00:30:58.080They met at Saratoga, but there was a plan potentially to have a force, a larger force come up and meet them.
00:31:04.900And, you know, Lord Howell went over to Philadelphia instead.
00:31:08.320But a smaller force did come up, and they defeated some of the small forts that were there.
00:31:13.340West Point becomes kind of the linchpin of those defenses, guarding the Hudson River.
00:31:18.240They have this massive chain that they build to blockade the river from British ships from going up.
00:31:25.060And then West Point and other forts in and around the area are the absolute key to the defense.
00:31:31.920And, you know, basically they strengthened those defenses after the Battle of Saratoga, which is a glorious American victory, which leads to French involvement.
00:31:41.020And then they strengthened the forts up at West Point and others to prevent the British from, you know, potentially taking over the Hudson River.
00:31:50.160Patrick, you talk about the Hudson River.
00:31:53.840When people go – and I just want to describe it to you – you go across the famous plains of West Point.
00:31:59.480And that is not to be walked on or stepped on by any civilians, only cadets and members of the military.
00:32:08.300And the reason – this is where the Continental Army was really hammered in to being by Polish officers that had come.
00:32:19.420And Washington had felt that they had the drill – they really understood the drills that were needed by European armies to instill.
00:32:29.280But when you're there, it's actually – you're looking down and it's like a mountain gorge.
00:32:33.900The Hudson River, this is not like around New York.
00:32:37.320As you get up to Hudson at West Point in this big turn it takes at West Point to go up, you're literally in a mountain gorge.
00:32:43.520West Point is on a very high cliff where the plains is that looks over this.
00:32:47.980At the bottom, you're right, and people almost think it's like insane.
00:32:52.000They put a chain – they put a chain, a shot of chain across the entire river to essentially block – try to block the British from coming up.
00:33:01.420And this is one of the whole reasons that Benedict Arnold – it was such a strategic location because it's really the high ground on the Hudson.
00:33:09.400And the Hudson was considered the central – at least in the beginning of the war, the central zone of conflict because to control the Hudson,
00:33:17.980you would break off the more radical New England and particularly the John Adams, the Sam Adams, the Hancocks and the revolutionary fervor of Lexington and Concord and obviously Bunker Hill of what you're coming up to in just a couple of weeks.
00:33:34.780That's why there was such a big deal, and this is why it was such a central part of the formation of the American army, that this is really, Patrick, in your thoughts about hammering really what was militia and really backwoodsmen into an army that could actually withstand the onslaught of really one of the best field armies in the world.
00:33:57.660And that was the British Expeditionary Force.
00:34:01.620Yeah, this is – the Hudson Valley is an absolutely crucial area, as I mentioned, beginning in 1777, Battle Saratoga.
00:34:08.460And then we move forward in time, and the British continually try to creep up the Hudson.
00:34:13.120And I brought out in my book, Washington's Immortals, the Battle of Stony Point, which is really one of the great special operations missions of the American Revolution.
00:34:23.520The British capture Stony Point, which is a little bit below West Point, and then they fortify it with about 19 guns.
00:34:30.780They build some Atabay and other things.
00:34:33.380And Washington sends in his light infantry.
00:34:36.180And these are men that are lightly armed.
00:34:39.180They're early precursor to special operations forces.
00:34:42.260They surround the fort, and they seize it, and they take hundreds of prisoners.
00:34:48.160It's around this time that, you know, Benedict Arnold, who's really one of the great heroes of the early American Revolution, he's vitally important up north in Canada.
00:35:07.460At Saratoga, which was the – when Burgoyne's army surrenders, and I still think the biggest victory we had, if you actually talk about a military victory in the entire war, Benedict Arnold was absolutely central on the last day of Saratoga.
00:35:24.920It was his leadership on the battlefield.
00:35:32.120This is what starts his whole downward spiral of what led him in his – really his madness and his bitterness about that and not being recognized like Gates to actually betray his country.
00:36:13.840And he is the commander at West Point, and he decides to weaken West Point's defenses deliberately and then deliver the plans to General Clinton on where the American forces are deployed.
00:36:30.600In return for being a brigadier general within the British Army, which he turns coat, and then he becomes a general within their army.
00:37:04.160But this is connective tissue for every American war all the way back to Thomas Jefferson's administration.
00:37:13.560Walk me through the importance of West Point in American memory, American culture,
00:37:19.560and in the actual fighting – combat fighting of our military, sir.
00:37:25.040It's – you know, in many cases, a great general or leader can change the course of history.
00:37:30.380And what we've seen is many of these great leaders come from West Point.
00:37:35.400Either Robert E. Lee, for instance, or Ulysses S. Grant, who, as you mentioned, you know, graduates at the bottom of his class.
00:37:41.960But he's really one of the greatest military leaders in history, and he's also a great president.
00:37:48.080You know, maybe his greatest accomplishment is at Appomattox, where he recognizes the importance of respect and forgiveness.
00:37:57.500And as he defeats Robert E. Lee, he offers an olive branch and a way of reconciliation, which will change our country.
00:38:06.560And it's at Appomattox that I bring out in The Unvanquished that, you know, the healing begins and we start to come back together.
00:38:14.880But it's Grant's terms at Appomattox of, you know, paroling Lee's army versus putting everybody in a POW cage, which has just this dramatic transformative effect of where men are going home.
00:38:33.120And there's still, you know, 250,000 Confederates in the field.
00:38:37.400But as these other armies are still fighting, they're seeing men go home to their homes, which has a completely demoralizing effect on their ability to continue to fight.
00:38:48.000And, you know, once you lose that, it's very tough to keep fighting as an insurgency.
00:38:53.700Hey, Patrick, Patrick, hang on for a second.
00:38:55.780We're going to take a short commercial break.
00:38:57.140They're still going through the cadets themselves getting their diplomas.
00:39:00.820We're going to continue this to its culmination.
00:39:05.920Let's go and take a short commercial break.
00:39:07.240We'll be back in Real America's Voice and the War Room's continual coverage of the graduation ceremony at West Point, the United States Military Academy.
00:43:35.520Please remain standing while the oath of office is administered to the Class of 2025 by the United States Military Academy Commandant of Cadets, Brigadier General R.J. Garcia.
00:43:49.520Class of 2025, raise your right hand and repeat after me.
00:44:03.520Having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States in the grade of Second Lieutenant, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
00:44:23.520Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
00:44:30.520That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.
00:50:15.640They will now go change out of their cadet uniforms into their Second Lieutenant uniforms,
00:50:19.640into their Second Lieutenant uniforms,
00:50:21.640and they will now go change out of their Second Lieutenant uniforms,
00:50:23.640and they will now go change out of their Cadet uniforms into their Second Lieutenant uniforms,
00:50:25.640and they will have these private, um, commissioning ceremonies.
00:50:27.640will have their Second Lieutenant bars put on them by family members and, uh,
00:50:29.640and commissioning folks that are going to commission.
00:50:31.640They will now go change out of their Second Lieutenant uniforms,
00:50:35.640and they will now go change out of their Cadet uniforms into their Second Lieutenant uniforms,
00:50:37.640and they will have these private, um, commissioning ceremonies, will have their Second Lieutenant bars put on them by family members and, uh, and commissioning folks that are going to commission.
00:50:43.640Normally, um, either members of the faculty or staff or, uh, people they know.
01:03:48.640Like all of you have picked up the banners that you have carried forward the flag of freedom.
01:03:57.640No matter the odds, no matter the cost, no matter the danger, through every challenge and every battle, you'll stand strong, you'll work hard, you'll stay tough, and you will fight, fight, fight, and win, win, win.
01:04:22.400We now join our programming already in progress.
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