Tom Hanks at the 15th Governors Awards Nov. 17, 2024, at The Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump cheered on Monday after news broke that a planned award ceremony to honor Tom Hanks at West Point had been called off. Trump labeled the actor “destructive” and “woke” while celebrating the cancellation on his social media platform.
Hanks was slated to receive the 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award on September 25. The U.S. Military Academy’s alumni association, however, confirmed the event had been canceled last week.
“Important move!” Trump wrote. “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.”
Neither West Point, the alumni association, nor representatives for Hanks provided immediate comment on the development.
Trump’s Influence Over Military and Education
The cancellation comes as Trump works to reshape leadership and ideology within higher education and the military during his second term. His administration has already advanced several measures aimed at reasserting control over institutions.
Earlier this summer, the Army secretary ordered West Point to revise hiring procedures, remove external groups from staffing decisions, and dismiss a newly hired official who previously led the nation’s cybersecurity agency under President Joe Biden.
In line with broader efforts to dismantle diversity initiatives, West Point also disbanded more than a dozen cadet clubs centered on race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. Additionally, the academy restored a painting of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in uniform, part of Trump’s broader campaign to bring back Confederate-era monuments and names removed in recent years.
Legacy of the Thayer Award
The Sylvanus Thayer Award, created in 1958, is one of West Point’s most prestigious honors. Named after the academy’s early superintendent known as the “Father of West Point,” it is presented annually to a U.S. citizen whose service exemplifies the institution’s motto: “Duty, Honor, Country.”
In June, association board chairman Robert McDonald praised Hanks, highlighting his contributions to portraying American service members and veterans. “Tom 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,” McDonald said.
Yet, by Friday, association president Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger announced that the cancellation would allow the academy to “continue its focus on preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win” as future Army officers.
Last year’s award went to former President Barack Obama.
Hanks’ Political Activism and Trump Criticism
Hanks has long been among Hollywood’s most politically active figures. He has supported Democratic campaigns and progressive causes, endorsing Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden. He hosted the “Celebrating America” prime-time special during Biden’s 2021 inauguration and narrated campaign films and advertisements for Democrats.
The actor also served as a co-chair of When We All Vote, a civic engagement group founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Hanks’ relationship with Trump has been contentious for years. In 2016, he dismissed Trump as a “self-involved gasbag.” During Trump’s presidency, he condemned the travel ban targeting Muslim-majority nations and described it as a “brand of tragedy.”
At Biden’s inauguration, Hanks spoke of “deep divisions” in the nation, and in a 2023 Harvard commencement address, he warned against leaders who distort the truth. He also angered Trump supporters after portraying a caricature of one in the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live.
