In an email sent on Friday, however, the alumni group’s president, retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, said that the planned September 25th ceremony would not be held. “This decision allows the Academy to continue its focus on its core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win as officers in the world’s most lethal force, the United States Army,” Bieger elaborated, per The New York Times. The decision comes as military academies face increased scrutiny under the current administration. Neither the alumni group nor Tom Hanks provided further comment to the outlet, but Trump had a lot to say on the matter. “Our great West Point (getting greater all the time!) has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks. Important move!” he wrote on Truth Social today. “We don’t need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards!!! Hopefully the Academy Awards, and other Fake Award Shows, will review their Standards and Practices in the name of Fairness and Justice. Watch their DEAD RATINGS SURGE!”
Like other celebrities—including Bruce Springsteen and Beyoncé—that Trump has publicly targeted, Hanks has backed Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates in the past. Trump’s tirades don’t show any signs of slowing down, but at least the president is facing some legal ramifications for his frequent defamatory claims. Today, a federal appeals court rejected Trump’s bid to throw out a prior verdict ordering him to pay $83.3 million for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll during his first term, CNBC reports. The ruling stemmed from comments made by the president in response to Carroll’s claim that he raped her in the 1990s. Trump reportedly argued that the ruling was both excessive and invalid in light of a recent Supreme Court verdict that expanded his presidential immunity, but the panel held that the president “failed to identify any grounds that would warrant reconsidering our prior holding on presidential immunity.” They also rejected the president’s claim that the award was excessive because “there was ample evidence that Trump was recklessly indifferent to Carroll’s health and safety,” per Politico. We’ll see if this ruling has any impact on Trump’s conduct as he shifts his focus to some new left-leaning star in the coming days (or hours).
