At West Point, Trump calls out ‘evil of slavery’

WEST POINT. N.Y. — As the nation continues to grapple with racial issues, President Donald Trump urged West Point’s graduating class Saturday to “never forget” the legacy of soldiers before them who fought a war to “extinguish the evil of slavery.”

Mr. Trump’s appeal to remember history came as his own relationship with the military is under strain from the unrelenting criticism he and Pentagon leaders have faced over their response to protests that erupted after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

It also came hours after Mr. Trump made what amounted to a rare concession for him: He rescheduled a campaign rally planned for Tulsa, Okla., on June 19. The day marks the end of slavery in the U.S., and Tulsa was the scene of a fiery white-onblack attack in 1921.

“What has historically made America unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment,” Mr. Trump told more than 1,100 graduates at an unusual outdoor ceremony held during a pandemic. “When times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring and eternal.”

In the past two weeks, Mr. Trump has yelled at Defense Secretary Mark Esper for publicly opposing his call to deploy activeduty troops to quell the protests stemming from the killing of Floyd, who was black, by a white Minneapolis police officer.

Mr. Trump also shut down Mr. Esper’s attempt to begin a public debate on removing the names of Confederate Army officers — some of whom trained at West Point — from military bases, an idea gaining momentum across the country.

Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, risked Mr. Trump’s ire Thursday by declaring he had made “a mistake” by accompanying Mr. Trump on a June 1 walk through Lafayette Square.

It ended with the president posing with a Bible outside St. John’s Church.

Gen. Milley’s comments amounted to an extraordinary expression of regret by Mr. Trump’s chief military adviser, who said his appearance led to a concerning perception of the military becoming embroiled in politics.

The events have stirred debate within the military and among retired officers. More than 500 West Point graduates from classes spanning six decades signed an open letter reminding the Class of 2020 of its commitment to avoid partisan politics.

The letter, published this week on Medium, also alluded to the problems Mr. Esper and Gen. Milley encountered at the White House after Floyd’s death.

“Sadly, the government has threatened to use the Army in which you serve as a weapon against fellow Americans engaging in these legitimate protests,” they wrote. “Worse, military leaders, who took the same oath you take today, have participated in politically charged events.”

During the commencement ceremony, protesters denounced the president from boats and kayaks on the nearby Hudson River.

Mr. Trump’s appearance at West Point had been criticized as a political move that would put the graduates at risk since the academy is located up the Hudson River from New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak.

The Army defended the move, saying the cadets had to return to campus anyway for final medical checks, equipment and training. They had been home since spring break in early March.

For the ceremony, the newly commissioned second lieutenants wore face masks as they marched onto the parade field but removed them after sitting for the socially distant ceremony required by the pandemic.

Instead of shaking hands with the president, they exchanged salutes.