Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the pouring rain on Saturday morning, in which he accused former “foolish and feckless leaders” of pushing identity politics on the military institution.

“The battlefield does not grade on a curve, and you can’t throw your pronouns at the enemy,” Hegseth told the cadets. “Combat is the ultimate test, and our best Americans must ace it.”

The Pentagon chief also decried “woke and weak leaders” for attempting to transform the military academy into “woke Princeton,” his alma mater.

“They embraced the DEI craze and tried to introduce diversity and inclusion studies,” Hegseth said, referring to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. “They hired professors who advocated for anti-American ideologies right here in these halls, but no more.

“West Point is set apart. It’s special. It’s above politics,” he continued. “Success here is based on merit. It’s how you perform that matters.”

Hegseth has frequently railed against DEI programs, and he championed President Trump’s executive order last year barring openly transgender individuals from serving in the military.

“You are fit, not fat. You are disciplined, not distracted,” Hegseth told the cadets.

“Many of you, even in your short time in uniform have endured what I call the slow slide of the U.S. Army,” he continued. “You’ve seen standards lowered, you’ve seen an obsession with race and gender, you’ve seen the watering down of discipline, codes weakened and traditions tossed aside in the name of political correctness, statues taken down, paintings placed in the basement. I’m here to tell you the slow slide here at West Point and across the United States Army is over.”

He invoked the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk in his address to the graduates.

“As Charlie Kirk often said, ‘Remember, always this too shall pass,’” Hegseth said. “The good times will pass, the bad times will pass.”

Hegseth also pledged a commitment to “untie” the hands of military service members, saying, “lawyers don’t run battalions, commanders do.”

“No matter what, President Trump and I will have your back when tough decisions are made, especially decisions made in a split second in the heat of battle that air-conditioned offices in Washington, D.C., will never have,” Hegseth said, adding, “Understand, your hands are untied.”

In March, the Defense secretary announced a “ruthless, no-excuses” overhaul of the military’s legal offices. He also fired the top lawyers for the Army, Navy and Air Force last year, claiming that they were “roadblocks to orders” from the president.

Democratic lawmakers have raised the alarm over this weakening of legal safeguards, particularly following the military’s deadly strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

A coalition of Democratic lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds called on service members to defy illegal orders in a joint video statement following these boat strikes.

The president condemned this warning as “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by Death!” in a Truth Social post, and federal prosecutors sought to indict the lawmakers for breaching a law forbidding interference with the U.S. military’s loyalty, morale or discipline.

The Democrats included Sens. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.) and Reps. Jason Crow (Colo.), Chris Deluzio (Pa.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.) and Maggie Goodlander (N.H.). A grand jury declined to indict the lawmakers on these charges in February.

On Saturday, the Defense secretary was joined on stage by Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and other top military officials.

President Trump delivered last year’s commencement address. Previous speakers include former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

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