WEST POINT. New York — As the nation struggles to confront its complicated racial legacy, US President Donald Trump preaches unity to West Point graduates and tells them never to forget the legacy of soldiers from generations ago who fought “a bloody war to extinguish the evil of slavery.’’
His appeal to reconciliation and remembrance comes at a time when his own relationship with the military is under strain, and the commander-in-chief and Pentagon leaders have faced unrelenting criticism over their response to the protests that overwhelmed the country after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
Trump appears to allude to those tensions as he addressed more than 1,100 graduates at an unusual outdoor ceremony held during a global pandemic.
“What has historically made America unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment,” Trump says. “When times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring and eternal.”
— AP
US President Donald Trump speaks to United States Military Academy graduating cadets during commencement ceremonies, on June 13, 2020, in West Point, New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, Pool)
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