Trump has issued a number of orders affecting the military. Here's what they do
NPR Online NewsJAN 31
Trump Dismisses Military Academy Boards
Above: West Point Cadets cheer during the first half of a football game against the East Carolina Pirates at Michie Stadium on Oct. 19, 2024, in New York. Image copyright: David Jensen/Contributor/Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
The Facts
US Pres. Donald Trump announced Monday the immediate dismissal of the Boards of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard service academies, declaring they'd been infiltrated by what he termed "Woke Leftist Ideologues over the last four years."
The Boards of Visitors — typically appointed by the president, vice president, and congressional leaders for three-year terms — advise the president on "morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, [and] physical equipment," among other academy-related issues.
This action follows recent executive orders directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to discharge transgender service members, eliminate diversity equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and reinstate soldiers removed for refusing the COVID vaccine.
The Spin
Right narrative
Trump is saving the military from previous leadership's anti-American agenda. Not only is he ridding the armed forces of race and gender politics, but he will also return traditional military-focused education to the classroom, ensuring cadets are brought together under the one and only American flag. This, on top of Trump's proposed "warrior board," will increase military recruitment and warfighting capability.
Left narrative
Trump's actions aren't strengthening the military; they're undoing decades of progress toward equality within the armed forces. By dismissing boards of visitors and banning so-called DEI programs, which were never divisive but rather inclusive, he's reverting the military to an era where not all Americans were treated equally. This rollback undermines unit cohesion and morale, making the military weaker, not stronger.