Hegseth delivers West Point grad speech, says cadets 'ready' for war
by Lisa Hornung · UPIMay 23 (UPI) -- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a graduation speech to graduating West Point cadets Saturday, and told them they are "ready" for war.
"West Point is set apart. It's special. It's above politics," Hegseth said at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., Saturday. "Success here is based on merit. It's how you perform that matters."
He accused former "foolish and feckless leaders" of pushing identity politics on the academy.
"The battlefield does not grade on a curve, and you can't throw your pronouns at the enemy," The Hill reported Hegseth said. "Combat is the ultimate test, and our best Americans must ace it."
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He said previous "woke and weak leaders" tried to transform the school into "woke Princeton." Hegseth got a bachelor's degree from Princeton.
"They embraced the [diversity, equity and inclusion] craze and tried to introduce diversity and inclusion studies," Hegseth said. "They hired professors who advocated for anti-American ideologies right here in these halls, but no more.
"You are fit, not fat. You are disciplined, not distracted," Hegseth told the cadets.
While he didn't mention the war in Iran, he told the graduates that they "are stepping into the arena at a time when the stakes could not be higher."
"We're sending you to lead, we're sending you to forge warriors, and we are sending you, perhaps, to war, and you are ready," he said.
On stage were also Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and other military officials.
Last year, President Donald Trump delivered the graduation speech.
Naval Academy graduation held at Annapolis
The Blue Angels perform a flyover during graduation and a commissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on May 22, 2026. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo