An alumni group at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has canceled a high-profile award ceremony honoring actor and veteran advocate Tom Hanks later this month. President Donald Trump praised the decision.
The Washington Post first reported that the Sept. 25 event was called off. In an email obtained by Variety, Mark Bieger, the president and CEO of the West Point Association of Graduates, wrote that the academy could now “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.”
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Trump responds
On Truth Social, Trump applauded the decision.
“Our great West Point has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks,” Trump wrote. “Important move! We don’t need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards!!! 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!”
The academy’s alumni association had praised Hanks in June when it first announced the honor. Board chairman Robert A. McDonald said Hanks “has done more for the positive portrayal of the American service member, more for the caring of the American veteran, their caregivers and their family, and more for the American space program and all branches of government than many other Americans.”
Hanks has starred in several military movies, including 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan.” He also produced the World War II dramas “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” for HBO and “Masters of the Air” for Apple TV+. Hanks has earned more than 70 awards.
Former Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole said Hanks “certainly lives up to the criteria of a great American.”
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation even named its Caregiver Champion Award after Hanks, recognizing his support for military caregivers and their families.
The cancellation of the award ceremony follows other changes at West Point under Trump’s second term. In February, West Point ended student clubs related to gender or minorities following pressure from Trump on DEI programs on the federal level. In April, a senior Army official ordered the academy’s library to remove books that promote “DEI, gender ideology, and critical race theory in a manner that subverts meritocracy and unity.”
Hanks’ political profile
Hanks has long identified with Democratic politics. He endorsed former President Barack Obama in 2008, supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 and hosted an inauguration event for former President Joe Biden in 2021.
“In the last few years, we’ve witnessed deep division and a troubling rancor in our land,” Hanks said during the event.
He has also used comedy to comment on U.S. politics. During “Saturday Night Live’s” 50th anniversary special, he portrayed a Trump supporter in a “Black Jeopardy” sketch poking fun at election conspiracies.
Hanks has occasionally voiced unease about the direction of the country. Speaking at a D-Day commemoration in June 2024, he told CNN he worries about the short-term health of American democracy but believes the long term offers reason for optimism.
“I think there’s always a reason to be worried about the short term,” he said. “But I look at the longer term.”
Will Hanks still receive the award?
It remains unclear how West Point will handle the recognition. The email announcing the cancellation did not specify whether the award itself was being revoked or postponed.
However, a U.S. official told NPR the actor will still receive the honor even without the ceremony.
