this post was submitted on 24 May 2025
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Donald Trump ranted to a captive audience of graduating West Point cadets about military drag shows, urging the students to focus on killing America’s enemies.

“The job of the U.S. armed forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures, but to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun,” the president said. “The military’s job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America anywhere, anytime, and anyplace.”

While college commencement addresses are usually a chance to celebrate the graduates’ achievements, the more than a thousand West Point cadets and their families were treated to a recounting of Trump’s war on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the military.

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[–] OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca 16 points 10 hours ago

“The job of the U.S. armed forces is... to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun,”

You can start at home.

[–] theneverfox@pawb.social 14 points 10 hours ago

I loved how he kept calling people up to congratulate for records, and he'd let them speak and they all said "I love my friends" and stepped down. You could see him taken aback, like he thought they were going to glaze him

It was also wild to see him start out giving a normal commencement speech... Then suddenly it was like the meds wore off, he froze for a second, and he just started doing his normal rants. And that was like a quarter of the way in

[–] LonstedBrowryBased@lemm.ee 1 points 6 hours ago

Trump loves men hence the insecurity around drag

[–] Veedem@lemmy.world 133 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (8 children)

“Spread democracy at the point of a gun”

Let’s be clear that THAT’S the bigger takeaway here.

Edit: it seems to be that he meant that they would no longer spread democracy at the point of a gun

[–] sh00g@lemmy.zip 36 points 17 hours ago (7 children)

A USA today article seems to dispute this slightly. It's a minor tweak but in the sake of fairness it completely changes the interpretation.

"The job of the U.S. armed forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures (and) spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun," he said. "The military's job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America, anywhere, anytime and any place."

Does anyone know whether he said "but spread democracy..." or "and spread democracy..."?

If the former like this post suggests, then it is indeed another notch in Trump's belt of horrific quotes that would get any other politician at any other time in American history vilified. If the latter like USA Today is reporting then he seems to be arguing that the US military's role is not to "spread democracy at the point of a gun."

[–] RIPandTERROR@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 hours ago

In Helldivers today I played around with someone with the username Democrussy Spreader. Funny a saw these words together twice.

He said "but to spread democracy."

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 3 points 13 hours ago

OP’s says “but to”, this one says “and”. Now that’s a different number of syllables. We’re really starting to stretch how much something can be misheard.

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 1 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

I'll give him credit and say it's "and" since that would make more sense in the flow of the sentence. He's a terrible orator, so even the basic things said by him can be confusing. Not a fan of the heavy hand of military, but Eisenhower warned us we'd get like this. A strong defense is a good offense, but I think the US politically, economically, and even socially embraces that a little too much through history, and we definitely have war hawks in control right now.

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 5 points 13 hours ago

What Eisenhower “warned” us about happened within his lifetime. I put warned in quotes because it was really already happening, so more of an observation than a prediction.

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[–] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 22 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I had to reread it to make sure it was a quote. Holy fucking shit.

[–] Gigasser@lemmy.world 5 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

An with the new basically enabling act having recently passed...this brings on a whole new meaning.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fK-Gc2cIALk

[–] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

When the tools of peace are taken away, the only resort are the weapons of... Well, I don't want to get ahead if myself...

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 2 points 16 hours ago

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make... something else happen, I forgot what it was!

[–] SnarkoPolo@lemm.ee 9 points 15 hours ago

CHRISTIAN "democracy." The sword and the sermon.

[–] Wytch@lemmy.zip 8 points 17 hours ago

Kind of forgetting the democracy part of that, it's mostly gunpoint atm

[–] Honse@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Guys calm down he just making a Helldiver's reference

[–] ms_lane@lemmy.world 4 points 17 hours ago

I'd like to know more.

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 1 points 17 hours ago

Sounds like something straight from Helldivers.

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[–] knobbysideup@sh.itjust.works 16 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

Weird. I thought the military's job was to deter war through a readiness to fight.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 5 points 11 hours ago

I mean, on paper and during recruiting maybe, but not really.

[–] IHeartBadCode@fedia.io 23 points 16 hours ago (9 children)

but to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun

Wow, well that's a take. It's literally some shit you'd hear from Team America: World Police.

[–] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world 6 points 16 hours ago

While abandoning democracy at home.

What a disgusting people.

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[–] ABetterTomorrow@lemm.ee 12 points 15 hours ago

I bet that ceremony show became a drag. Or Trump wouldn’t have worn makeup.

[–] VeryVito@lemmy.ml 16 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I know an American enemy that needs to be dominated. And I’m not talking about being spanked with a Forbes magazine.

[–] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 4 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

I mean if there's time maybe a little bit but the other kind of domination is of higher priority

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 12 hours ago

Sounds like a good way to get shit on.

[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 3 points 12 hours ago

NCD in shambles :'/

[–] FoxyFerengi@lemm.ee 9 points 16 hours ago

Drag shows are actually part of US military history

[–] duhbasser@lemm.ee 4 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

What about domestic terrorist trying to systematically destroy our nation by removing our rights, diminishing our health, sell our national secrets to the highest bidder, deporting American citizens to death camps, and arguable killing more American citizens than any conflict we’ve seen since WWII (COVID under Trump - and more to come). Can they point their guns at him?

[–] SnarkoPolo@lemm.ee 2 points 15 hours ago

And a plurality of the nation still think he's a brilliant, capable business wizard?

Not just sad but #FuckingSad

[–] RedditIsDeddit@lemmy.world 1 points 16 hours ago

yep he's still a moron

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