Donald Trump is once again using his megaphone to blast Hollywood—and this time, he’s got Tom Hanks in his crosshairs.
After the U.S. Military Academy at West Point abruptly canceled plans to honor the beloved actor with its 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award, Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate and launch a fresh attack on the entertainment industry.
“Our great West Point (getting greater all the time!) has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks,” Trump wrote Monday. “Important move! We don’t need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards!!!”
The Thayer Award is the highest civilian honor given by the West Point Association of Graduates. Hanks, 69, was slated to receive it for his decades of work portraying and supporting U.S. service members—work that includes iconic roles in Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, and his advocacy for military memorials and museums.
In June, the association announced Hanks as the 2025 recipient, calling him “an outstanding citizen” and praising his efforts on behalf of veterans. “Tom Hanks has done more for the positive portrayal of the American service member… than many other Americans,” said board chair Robert McDonald at the time.
But the plans unraveled. According to The Washington Post, the decision to pull the plug on the ceremony came amid political turmoil at West Point and apparent discomfort among leadership.
Jason Dempsey, a former instructor and graduate of the academy, told the Post the move reflects the awkward space Hanks occupies in today’s hyper-politicized climate: “It is the perfect example… of someone being good for the military but not perfectly aligned with current partisan priorities.”
It’s unclear whether Hanks will still receive the award itself, just not in a public ceremony, or if the honor has been scrapped entirely.
Trump, however, isn’t waiting for clarification. Instead, he’s using the moment to broaden his crusade against what he calls “woke” culture and to take another swing at Hollywood.
“Hopefully the Academy Awards, and other Fake Award Shows, will review their Standards and Practices in the name of Fairness and Justice,” Trump added in his post. “Watch their DEAD RATINGS SURGE!”
The Oscars, long a target of Trump’s ire, haven’t responded. But the president’s message was clear: cancel more Hollywood stars, and America will thank you.
Hanks, for his part, has made no public comment since the cancellation. He’s previously criticized Trump, notably hosting the “Celebrating America” broadcast for President Biden’s 2021 inauguration and speaking at a Biden fundraiser in 2020.
For Trump, Hanks’ politics seem to outweigh his decades of military advocacy. And for West Point, the sudden retreat signals a growing tension between honoring service and navigating the nation’s deepening political divides.
