A rumor that circulated online in May 2025 claimed that after U.S. President Donald Trump delivered the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York, he failed to honor a tradition set by past U.S. presidents of staying for the diploma ceremony. The rumor further claimed someone later recorded a video showing him riding a golf cart after the graduation, implying he left the cadets behind to play golf at his Bedminster, New Jersey, club.
For example, a user on X posted (archived) an image from the video with the caption, "Instead of staying to acknowledge & shake the cadets hands at West Point… He lied to them & said 'I need to go deal with China & Russia!' China & Russia being 'Golfing.'" The user also called Trump a "coward and disgrace" to the U.S. Users shared the same video and/or the rumor on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram (archived), Reddit (archived), Threads (archived), TikTok (archived) and X (archived).
(@BagdMilkSoWhat/X)
While Trump did, during his May 24 address, honor the service and sacrifice of graduating cadets, it's true that he left the West Point graduation early, after delivering his speech and prior to the diploma ceremony, breaking a tradition honored every year by recent former U.S. presidents. Those presidents included, for example, Joe Biden, Trump during his first term, Barack Obama and George W. Bush. During his address, he did not specifically mention not planning to shake hands with the cadets but did say, "I'm going back now to deal with Russia, to deal with China."
At the same time, it's unclear as of this writing whether Trump played golf later on the same day, or if a widely shared video of Trump riding in a golf cart shows him playing golf right after his speech, after landing at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. We have not yet established the time and date when the clip was recorded, depicting a driver, whom we have not yet identified, transporting Trump in a golf cart near a helicopter that serves as Marine One. In the clip, Trump is wearing a suit — not golfing clothes — with no golf clubs visible on the rear of the cart. In other words, it's possible the golf cart simply transported Trump elsewhere on the property and had nothing to do with him playing golf.
Snopes contacted the White House by email to ask various questions about this matter, all noted later in this story. In part, a White House spokesperson called the rumor "a non-story," and claimed without yet providing photo or video proof that Trump shook "hundreds" of hands of military leaders and cadets before delivering his graduation speech.
Breaking down the rumor
The YouTube channels for FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth and West Point - The U.S. Military Academy hosted lengthy videos showing the majority of the May 24 West Point graduation, which took place at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York.
Trump's address featured moments directly addressing cadets, as well as political remarks similar to his campaign rallies. During his speech, he singled out academic accomplishments and asked various cadets to stand for recognition. He also called onstage at least three cadets and shook their hands. Trump then closed his speech by telling the crowd, "So I just want to congratulate you all. I'm going back now to deal with Russia, to deal with China." He accepted a framed class photo as a gift from another cadet, shook four hands onstage and then walked out of the venue while clapping and pumping his fist in recognition of the graduates and crowd. After he departed the field at the stadium, organizers began the diploma ceremony.
Research for this rumor located a presidential schedule on RollCall.com, listing Trump's arrival at West Point at 8:15 a.m. ET, his speech at 10:15 a.m., his departure from West Point at 11:15 a.m. and his arrival to Trump National Golf Club Bedminster at 11:45 a.m. The schedule also displayed a "full lid called" by the White House Press Office at 12:11 p.m., terminology indicating no further planned events on that day for members of the press. Snopes did not yet learn any further details about activities occurring later that day.
Regarding the video of the golf cart driver transporting Trump near the helicopter, that clip showed at least one other golf cart behind Trump's cart. A search for further information located a somewhat similar YouTube clip (archived) from April. That video, possibly recorded at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach in Florida, showed numerous golf carts acting as a presidential motorcade to transport the president from one of his Marine helicopters to another on-site location — also with no golf clubs visible, just like the in-question clip. Another video (archived) posted by an Instagram user claimed to show Trump departing one of his Marine helicopters on May 24, possibly after his West Point address. The clip shows him walking over to a golf cart motorcade similar to the video from April, suggesting the motorcade's purpose was transporting him to another part of the property.
WH claims Trump shook 'hundreds' of hands prior to speech
In Snopes' email to the White House, we asked about users' claims of Trump not staying to observe the diploma ceremony and shake cadets' hands, as well as inquired about whether the in-question video shows Trump preparing to go golfing, or if it depicts someone simply transporting him elsewhere on the grounds for non-golfing purposes. We also asked about a photo posted (archived) to Trump's Truth Social account on the following morning allegedly showing a white swan biting a "friend" on a golf course, specifically inquiring if the incident occurred on May 24, May 25 or another day, seeing as Trump may have golfed with the pictured person.
A White House spokesperson quickly replied to the email but did not specifically address the video or the swan photo. Instead, the person called the rumor about Trump not staying for the diploma ceremony "a non-story" and that, without providing evidence, he "shook hundreds of hands of military leaders and cadets right before his speech." The White House did not yet provide proof of this claim of Trump shaking "hundreds" of hands right before his speech. The statement read, in part:
This is a non-story--President Trump shook hundreds of hands of military leaders and cadets right before his speech and has shaken the hands of thousands of military members during his first and second term. He has done more to support military men and women than any president in history which is why military recruitment is soaring under his leadership as Commander in Chief. The President has scheduled important calls with Russia and China to end the wars and ensure lasting peace.
Regarding the claim about "soaring" military recruitment, a U.S. Department of Defense article and a Military.com story, both published in the weeks before the 2024 election, reported a rise in recruitment — positive news occurring in the final year of Biden's term in office — and that, at the time, all military branches met recruiting goals following years of not achieving those goals.
The White House' Facebook and Instagram accounts featured a photo album and an edited video from the graduation, as well as pictures on the White House website (archived), though none of the pictures or brief clips showed Trump shaking "hundreds" of hands prior to his speech. The photo libraries for The Associated Press and Getty Images also contained no media depicting Trump shaking "hundreds" of hands before his address. Snopes will update this article should any evidentiary photos or videos surface following the publishing of this story.
Tradition honored by Biden, Obama and Bush
Online searches for information about recent past U.S. presidents delivering military commencement addresses and remaining present for diploma ceremonies found evidence going back at least a quarter century.
Biden delivered military graduates' diplomas during ceremonies in all four of his years in office. In 2021, he mostly just posed for photos after handing out diplomas, while in 2022, 2023 and 2024 he shook hands.
During Trump's first term, he delivered diplomas, shook hands and posed for photos in 2017. In 2018 and 2019, he handed out diplomas and shook hands. Then, in 2020, during a socially distanced ceremony early in the COVID-19 pandemic, he stood and saluted numerous times as speakers called out graduates' names.
Evidence showed Obama observing diploma ceremonies with handshakes and posed photos in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, as well as George W. Bush in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Additionally, former Vice President Kamala Harris delivered commencement speeches at military branch graduations in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, including staying to shake hands and observe diploma ceremonies in all four years, as did Vice President JD Vance following his commencement address at the U.S. Naval Academy in May 2025.