Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump West Point alumni group celebrated news Monday when they cancelled the honorary awards ceremony Tom Hanksthe president calls the famous actor “destructive” and “awakening.”
Hanks was scheduled to win the 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award on September 25th, but according to a news report, the US military academy alumni association cancelled the ceremony last week.
“An important move!” Trump said in a post on social media networks Monday. “We are destructive and hope that we wake up to receive our treasured American awards and that the Academy Awards and other false award shows will review their standards and practices in the name of fairness and justice.”
West Point, the Alumni Association and Hanks’ representative, did not immediately respond to messages or calls seeking comment Monday.
That’s coming when the cards move Directs ideology and leadership In the second term of the Institutions of Higher Education and the Military, they seek to assert control with a mixture of executive orders, legal measures and threats to withholding funds.
This summer, the Secretary of Army directed West Point to consider employment practices, and groups outside the group would prohibit the selection of employees; Remove newly announced employment He led the country’s cybersecurity agency under then President Joe Biden.
Earlier this year, West Point Dozens of Cadet Clubs have been disbanded In response to the Trump administration’s promotion, the company focuses on ethnicity, gender, race, and sexuality. Eliminate diversity programs The whole government. School too Paintings by General Robert E. Lee He wears Confederate uniforms at the library as the Trump administration pushed for restoration of Confederate names and memorials that have been deleted in recent years.
The Silvanus Sayer Award is named after an early director of the military academy known as “The Father of West Point.” Since 1958, it has been given annually to outstanding American citizens of America, exemplifying their personal dedication to ideals expressed in West Point’s motto, according to the West Point Alumni Association.
“Tom Hanks has done more than many other Americans for the positive portrayal of American service members, the compassion of American veterans, caregivers and their families, and for all the chapters of the American Space Program and government,” Robert McDonald, chairman of the association, said of the award in a June press release.
Retired Army Colonel Mark Beger, president and chief executive of the association, wrote that the decision to cancel the awards ceremony on Friday “allows the academy to focus on its core mission of preparing officers, fights and victory as officers in the world’s deadliest unit, the US Army.”
Last year’s recipient was former President Barack Obama.
Hanks is one of Hollywood’s Political celebritydonates to support many democratic politicians and progressive causes. He voiced Obama, Hillary Clinton and Biden in the presidential bid, and signed an open letter last year in support of Kamala Harris.
He also went to work for the Democrats. In 2012, he narrated the short documentary, “The Road We Gravel,” for Obama’s reelection campaign.
Hanks hosted a at Biden’s inauguration in 2021 “Celebrating America” is a 90-minute primetime television special.
A year later, he spoke about the two-minute ad spot from Biden’s first committee touting the results of his first term. He also Celebrity co-chairs when we all votea nonpartisan citizen engagement organization founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama to boost voter outreach.
And for the majority of the last decade, Hanks has not kept secret the secrets of his disapproval of Trump and the president’s policies. During an on-stage interview in 2016, he called the then-Government candidate “self-involved gas bags.” Hanks said after Trump took office. American Civil Liberties Union fundraising campaign Actions like travel bans in the majority of Muslims represent “tragedy brands.”
meanwhile Biden’s inauguration, he spoke “Deep division and nasty rancor in our land” and attempts to twist the truth by those who have been commissioned to public services have been warned. During the opening speech of Harvard in 2023. Just the past year, he has sparked the rage of Trump supporters. A special commemorating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live.
___
Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Jocelyn Noveck and Mallika Sen of New York contributed to the report.
