Trump directs ire at Tom Hanks for being destructive' and woke'

"Our great West Point (getting greater all the time!) has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks. Important move! 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. Watch their DEAD RATINGS SURGE! Hanks had been scheduled to receive the 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award later this month for his service and accomplishments in the national interest."

"In a message to faculty, retired Col Mark Bieger declared the cancellation would allow the institution to continue its focus on its core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight and win as officers in the world's most lethal force, the United States Army, without elaborating how the two are connected. Hanks has previously endorsed Democratic candidates including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton."

"He has been deeply involved in veterans' causes. He was the national spokesperson for the World War II Memorial in Washington DC. He also supported Bob Dole's fundraising campaign for the Dwight D Eisenhower Memorial, according to the alumni association's own original statement. He has already been inducted as an honorary member into the US Army's Ranger Hall of Fame. In 2016, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Among his military portrayals are Capt John Miller in Saving Private Ryan, the Vietnam War soldier Forrest Gump"

West Point's alumni association abruptly canceled a scheduled 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award ceremony for Tom Hanks without much explanation. President Donald Trump praised the cancellation on his social media site and criticized Hanks as "destructive" and "WOKE," urging award shows to reassess standards. Retired Col Mark Bieger said the cancellation would let the academy focus on preparing cadets to lead, fight and win, without explaining the connection. Hanks has endorsed Democratic candidates and maintained extensive veterans' advocacy, including serving as national spokesperson for the World War II Memorial and being inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame. Hanks received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and has portrayed several military characters in major films.

Read at www.theguardian.com