CLOSE QUARTERS

Trump Speech Will Bring 1,000 Grads Back to West Point Despite Coronavirus

West Point officials were reportedly caught by surprise when Trump announced he’d speak at the ceremony.

President Trump will speak at West Point’s graduation on June 13, a ceremony that will draw the class of 1,000 and their families back to campus, The New York Times reports. The military academy had closed and sent its 4,400 cadets home to slow the spread of coronavirus infections, a painful coda to a school year already marred by tragedy. School officials had considered postponing the graduation, but Trump preempted them with an announcement last Friday that he would, in fact, speak at the ceremony—a move senior administrators were unprepared for, according to the Times. The White House denied that Trump’s assertion was a surprise. Public health officials across the country, meanwhile, have advised against gatherings of more than 10 people.