‘Doesn’t sound authoritarian at all’: Donald Trump’s mask slips as he demands military to make countries submit ‘at the point of a gun’

This weekend, Donald Trump stood before West Point’s graduating cadets and delivered what can only be described as a masterclass in misplaced priorities.

Wearing his signature “Make America Great Again” hat—because apparently, nothing screams “formal occasion” like campaign merch—Trump launched into a diatribe that managed to be tone-deaf, warmongering, and utterly devoid of self-awareness, all at once. Traditionally, commencement speeches are about inspiration. You talk about perseverance, camaraderie, the bright future ahead. Trump, however, treated the podium like a campaign rally.

Trump’s speech wasn’t so much a celebration of the cadets’ achievements as it was a laundry list of grievances. He lamented that the military had been “abused” by ideological experiments, a thinly veiled jab at diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. According to Trump, the military should focus on annihilating enemies—not on fostering inclusivity or adapting to modern social norms. Because, you know, nothing strikes fear into the hearts of America’s adversaries like a well-funded DEI program.

And then came Trump’s assertion that the military’s role is to spread democracy “at the point of a gun.” Let’s pause here for a moment. The man who once cozied up to autocrats like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, who called neo-Nazis “very fine people,” is now the self-declared champion of democracy? It’s almost funny—until you remember that he’s serious.

This isn’t the first time Trump has let his authoritarian tendencies peek through his populist facade. But there’s something particularly galling about him delivering this message at West Point, an institution that prides itself on producing leaders of character and integrity. Trump’s vision of the military—one that exists solely to dominate, destroy, and impose—is not just outdated; it’s dangerous. 

Trump criticized past administrations for dragging the military into unnecessary conflicts, yet his rhetoric all but guarantees perpetual war. How exactly does one “spread democracy” with a gun? Historically, that approach has led to quagmires like Iraq and Afghanistan, not flourishing democracies. But Trump isn’t one for nuance. He speaks in absolutes, in black-and-white terms that ignore the complexities of modern warfare and diplomacy. To him, the military is a blunt instrument, not a finely tuned machine. And that’s the problem.

West Point cadets are the future leaders of the U.S. Army. They deserved a speech that recognized their hard work, their sacrifices, and the immense responsibilities they’re about to shoulder. Instead, they got a lecture on Trump’s personal vendettas and a glimpse into his dystopian vision for the military.