WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump celebrated news on Monday that an alumni group from West Point canceled an award ceremony set to honor Tom Hanks, with the president calling the famous actor “destructive” and “WOKE.”

Hanks was scheduled to receive the 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award on Sept. 25, but the U.S. Military Academy's alumni association canceled the ceremony last week, according to news reports.

“Important move!” Trump said in a post on his social media network Monday. “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.”

West Point, its alumni association and a representative for Hanks did not immediately respond to messages and calls seeking comment Monday.

It comes as Trump has moved to direct the ideology and leadership of higher education institutes and the military in his second term, seeking to assert control with a mix of executive orders and threats of legal action and withholding funds.

The Award is given to a citizen of the United States, other than a West Point graduate, whose outstanding character, accomplishments, and stature in the civilian community draw wholesome comparison to the qualities for which West Point strives, in keeping with its motto: “Duty, Honor, Country.” The individual selected for the Thayer Award must agree to accept the Award at West Point. The Sylvanus Thayer Award is funded by a generous endowment from E. Doug Kenna ’45 and his wife, Jean.

WASHINGTON — National Guard troops patrolling the streets of U.S. cities. Weapons of war deployed against international gangs suspected of drug trafficking. Military bases and resources redirected to mass immigration enforcement operations.

President Donald Trump is swiftly implementing his vision of the military as an all-powerful tool for his policy goals. It's ground that presidents have hardly ever crossed outside of times of war, and experts say it's remaking the role of the most powerful military in the world and its relationship with the American public.
Yet as Trump has dramatically stepped up his use of military force, fellow Republicans in Congress — where authorization for such actions is supposed to originate — have done little but cheer him on. That's giving the president significant leeway as he raises plans to send troops next to Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans.

“If I were one of those mayors, I’d be glad to have the help,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, speaking from a Capitol building where National Guard troops were patrolling the surrounding city. “I think the big city Democrats are really making a mistake. I think they're being tone deaf.”

Lawmakers from Louisiana — a red state that surrounds politically blue New Orleans — said it was a great idea for National Guard troops to go there next.

"New Orleans, like most Democrat-run cities, has a high crime rate, so it would be helpful,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told The Associated Press.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., agreed: “We need all the help we can get. I’m delighted to bring in the National Guard.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has warned federal authorities that if they do not follow the law, they will be held accountable.

In a statement over the weekend, a DHS spokesperson, who didn't give their name, referred to the initial operation as a success, and derided the so-called sanctuary policy of Boston and its mayor, Michelle Wu, as privileging criminals over U.S. citizens.

"Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but also place these public safety threats above the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities," the statement said.

Wu has reiterated that its policies on immigrants -- limiting local officials' cooperation with deportation enforcement -- have made it among the country's safest cities, including in her response to a federal lawsuit filed this week over Boston's "sanctuary" law, the Boston Trust Act.