WEST POINT – The 2025 commencement ceremony at the United States Military Academy at West Point was a day of reflection, celebration, and a promise of service to the nation.
On Saturday, under mostly cloudy skies and intermittent rain, an audience of dignitaries, family members, and alumni, gathered at Michie Stadium as the academy’s graduating class of over 1,000 cadets marched proudly to the beat of the Army band, marking the culmination of years of rigorous training and academic excellence.
The commencement address was given by President Donald Trump, who spoke to the graduating class about their duty to the country and the values of leadership, resilience, and patriotism.
Trump called the cadets the first class of the Golden Age of America, defending the country like never before.
“I just got back from the Middle East and I was at, as you know, Saudi Arabia, Quatar, UAE, and I will tell you they said – all three leaders, great leaders of those three nations – they all said the same thing, the United States of America is hotter than we ever ever seen it, and a year ago, it was as cold as it gets, and it’s true.”
During his speech, President Trump called several cadets to the stage to be recognized. Trump had West Point’s nationally ranked men’s lacrosse team stand to be recognized. The Black Knights spent part of 2024 as the top-ranked team in the nation. He also called Army quarterback Bryson Daily to the stage, praising his “steel-like” shoulder. He also asked cadet Chris Verdugo to the stage, praising him for completing an 18.5-mile march on a freezing night in January in just two ½ hours.
President Trump also recognized cadet Ricky McMahon saying, “In 2004, when Ricky was just a little boy … his dad, Lt. Col. Michael McMahon, made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation in Afghanistan. Today, Lt. Col McMahon rests not far from here in the West Point cemetery. Last year, two decades after losing his father, Ricky placed a gold chip from his dad’s 1985 class ring into a crucible along 87 other rings with it of past West Point grads that were melted down to forge those now worn by the Class of 2025 … Each of you will carry Michael’s memory with you always as you continue the legacy he gave.”
The Class of 2025 had cadets graduating from all 50 state. The top five state were Texas 83, California 82, New York 64, Florida 63, and New Jersey 57.
Among the more than 1,000 cadets who received their diplomas, approximately 252 were women, 108 African Americans, 100 Asian/Pacific Islanders, 114 Hispanics and 10 Native Americas.
The Class of 2025 had 305 cadets with at least one parent having served in the Armed Services. With that, 81 cadets from this class are sons or daughters of West Point graduates, and 13 of these have parents who are both graduates.
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