A Ceremony Honoring American Treasure Tom Hanks Was Canceled Out of Fear It Would Anger Trump

Few celebrities are as universally beloved as Tom Hanks. Though he is not yet a Disney Legend, Hanks has a long history with The Walt Disney Company, including playing Walt Disney and Woody in the Toy Story franchise.

Despite all his accolades and accomplishments, including two Academy Awards for Best Actor, Hanks remains one of the few celebrities who is approachable to nearly everyone. He has also spent decades giving back to military veterans and charities that help those who served.

Hanks worked with former Republican Senator and Presidential Candidate Bob Dole, serving as the spokesperson for the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., and national chairperson for the D-Day Museum Capital Campaign. He also worked as the chair of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Hidden Heroes campaign.

He also has a long history of bringing military stories to the screen. He starred in the World War II drama Saving Private Ryan and, after the movie, produced the World War II miniseries Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and Masters of Air.

Because of his years of service to military veterans, earlier this year, the West Point Association of Graduates was set to give Hanks the Thayer Award, given to citizens who did not attend West Point but whose “service and accomplishments in the national interest exemplify personal devotion to the ideals expressed in West Point’s motto: ‘Duty, Honor, Country.’”

However, that ceremony honoring Hanks and his service to veterans has been canceled, presumably because of President Trump. Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, the president and CEO of the Association, emailed members on Friday to announce that the ceremony would be canceled this year.

While Bieger did not discuss the specifics of the decision to cancel the ceremony, he said that canceling it would allow the Academy to focus on “its core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win as officers.” However, moments after the story broke, Donald Trump Jr. took to X (formerly Twitter) to compliment Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, writing, “West Point should be focused on training the next generation of war fighters, not celebrating woke leftwing celebrities with awards!!!”

Hanks supported former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and hosted Biden’s Inaugural Address, but he has mostly remained out of the political fray of Trump’s second term.

The Association did not say whether Hanks would receive the award or if that was canceled as well. Whatever the reason, Tom Hanks has done great work recognizing America’s veterans, which everyone should celebrate.

What do you think of the West Point Association of Graduates canceling its award ceremony for Tom Hanks? Let us know in the comments.