Trump Delivers First West Point Graduation Speech Since Inauguration... Esper Absent

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point for the first time since his inauguration. This move is interpreted as an effort to quell recent rumors of conflicts with the military leadership. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley reportedly did not attend in person and instead delivered their remarks via video.

According to foreign media including CNN, on the 13th (local time), President Trump attended the graduation ceremony at the Military Academy located in West Point, New York. This visit to West Point is analyzed to be related to the recent publicized conflicts with the military leadership over the response to racial discrimination protests. Secretary Esper, who was once rumored to be dismissed after defying Trump's order to deploy the military for protest suppression, sent a brief video message of about one minute instead of attending in person.

In his video message, Secretary Esper said, "I expect you to continue your commitment to our core values of loyalty and duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage," adding, "These principles will guide you through challenging times and new threats." Some military officials, including Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, attended in person.

CNN reported that President Trump, seemingly aware of the rumors of conflicts with the military leadership, emphasized unity during his approximately 30-minute speech. This was the first time President Trump delivered a commencement address at West Point since his inauguration. He stressed unity by saying, "You come from farms and cities, from large and small states, and you differ in race, religion, skin color, and beliefs. But when you entered this land, you became part of one team, one family, proudly serving the United States."

However, President Trump did not directly mention conflicts with the military leadership or racial discrimination issues. He expressed appreciation to the National Guard, saying, "Thank you for responding accurately to many recent challenges and for contributing to ensuring peace, safety, and the constitutional rule of law on the streets," highly praising the military's recent response to the protests.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.