President Biden was in the Hudson Valley on May 25 to deliver the commencement address to the 2024 graduating class of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Biden told the cadets that they are about to become the guardians of democracy and warned that “nothing is guaranteed about our democracy in America.”
While not mentioning Donald Trump by name it was clear that Biden was referring to him when he reminded the cadets that their oaths are toward upholding and protecting the U.S. Constitution and not any particular president.
In his speech, Biden renewed support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russians. He blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for having invaded Ukraine. Biden said he was determined to keep U.S. soldiers out of the fighting, while pledging continued support of Ukraine with ammunition and weapons. Biden said that Putin was wrong in believing that NATO would fracture.
“Instead, the greatest defense alliance in the history of the world is stronger than ever,” Biden said.
Biden emphasized for the cadets that it was the U.S. military that built a floating pier to be used for bringing food, medicine and other supplies to civilians in Gaza from ships in the Mediterranean. He also pointed out how U.S. defensive military weapons helped protect Israel from a massive missile attack by Iran.
Biden had arrived at the National Guard Base section of Stewart Airport at Newburgh at 8:36 Saturday morning, after a 36-minute flight from Wilmington, Delaware.
At 8:54, Biden came down the staircase of the military version of a Boeing 757 aircraft that was being used as Air Force One. He saluted the Air National Guard Base commanding officers. Congressman Pat Ryan, who represents parts of the Hudson Valley, and Steve Womack, who is from Arkansas and also is chairman of the Military Academy’s Board of Visitors, also were waiting at the base of the aircraft’s stairs. Biden then walked to the Marine One helicopter, which was parked about 30 yards away, accompanied by Ryan and Womack. Ryan and Womack rode with Biden on the helicopter to West Point.
Marine One landed on The Plain, the parade grounds at West Point overlooking the Hudson River at 9:23.
West Point Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland, who had walked from his house across the street to the parade grounds, greeted Biden. The two walked over to Gilland’s residence that had been decorated in red, white and blue bunting.
During his speech, Biden drew sustained applause from the cadets when he proclaimed that they should hold firm to their oaths that are “not to a political party, not to a president, but to the Constitution of the United States of America, against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Biden emphasized that enemies of the Constitution also can be domestic.
“Freedom is not free. It requires constant vigilance,” Biden said, “From the very beginning, nothing was guaranteed about our democracy in America. Every generation has an obligation to defend it, to protect it, to preserve it.”
President Biden was presented with a gift from the graduating class. It was a posed photograph of all 1,036 cadets. Biden said he would hang it in the White House. After the ceremony had been completed, Biden remained to congratulate and shake hands with every graduating cadet, a process that took about 70 minutes.
