WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump expressed approval on Monday after the West Point alumni association canceled an award ceremony intended to honor actor Tom Hanks. Trump criticized Hanks, labeling him as “destructive” and “WOKE.” Hanks was set to receive the 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award on September 25, but the ceremony was called off last week, according to reports.

“Important move!” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “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.”

Neither West Point, its alumni association, nor Hanks’ representatives responded to requests for comment on Monday. The cancellation aligns with Trump’s ongoing efforts to influence the ideologies and leadership within higher education and the military during his second term. He has employed a combination of executive orders, legal threats, and funding cuts to assert this control.

This summer, the Army secretary instructed West Point to reassess its hiring practices, prohibit outside groups from selecting employees, and dismiss a recent hire who previously led the nation’s cybersecurity agency under President Joe Biden. Earlier this year, West Point disbanded several cadet clubs focused on ethnicity, gender, race, and sexuality, following the Trump administration's initiative to eliminate diversity programs across the government. Additionally, the academy reinstated a painting of General Robert E. Lee in its library, reflecting the administration's push to restore Confederate names and monuments that had been removed in recent years.

The Sylvanus Thayer Award, named after an early superintendent of the military academy known as the “Father of West Point,” has been awarded annually since 1958. It recognizes an outstanding citizen whose service exemplifies the ideals of West Point’s motto: “Duty, Honor, Country.”

Robert McDonald, chairman of the association board, praised Hanks in a June press release, stating, “Tom Hanks has done more for the positive portrayal of the American service member, more for the caring of the American veteran, their caregivers and their family, and more for the American space program and all branches of government than many other Americans.”

Retired Army Colonel Mark Bieger, president and CEO of the association, noted in an email that canceling the award ceremony allows the academy to maintain its focus on preparing cadets for leadership roles in the U.S. Army. Last year’s recipient of the award was former President Barack Obama.

Hanks is known for his political activism, supporting numerous Democratic candidates and progressive causes. He has endorsed Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Biden in their presidential campaigns and has participated in various Democratic initiatives. In 2012, he narrated a documentary for Obama’s reelection campaign and hosted a special for Biden’s inauguration in 2021. Hanks has also been critical of Trump, referring to him as a “self-involved gasbag” in 2016 and expressing disapproval of Trump’s policies at various public events.

In recent years, Hanks has continued to voice his concerns about political divisions in the country, including during a Harvard commencement speech in 2023. His portrayal of a caricature of a Trump supporter on “Saturday Night Live” also drew backlash from Trump’s supporters.