STORY UPDATED: check for updates below.

Satirist

Did cadets' concerns about upholding their Honor Code cause Donald Trump to leave West Point graduation on May 24, 2025 without shaking the hand of every graduate, as a viral social media post claimed? No, that's not true: The post, reshared 39,000 times on Facebook in less than a day, was satire, author Robert Hawks said after fact checkers began testing its claims. Hawks had not labelled it satire and commenters on Facebook appeared to believe it was true.

Both the White House and West Point dened cadets were the reason the President left before the customary handshake with every graduating cadet.

The claim appeared in a May 27, 2025 Facebook post (archived here) on the robhawks61 account under the headline "West Point Cadets' Silent Revolt--Anonymous Graduates and Faculty Reveal Why President Trump Didn't Shake Their Hands". The gist of the 700-word post is in this paragraph:

For those unfamiliar (or who haven't been paying attention since the dawn of the republic), the Honor Code stands stark and absolute:

"I will neither lie, nor cheat, nor steal, nor will I tolerate the actions of anyone who does."

One newly minted officer, who would only identify themselves as "Second Lieutenant K," offered a hushed explanation:

"We realized that by shaking the hand of a man already convicted of 31 felonies, we'd be tacitly tolerating those actions. It's not just semantics--under our code, we can't wink at dishonor and call it ceremony."

This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:

(Source: Facebook.com screenshot taken by Lead Stories.)

Hawks took to Facebook May 30 to say he was "tickled pink" by the rapid spread of his post, but wanted to clarify that it was fiction:

Satire, after all, is the noble descendant of the court jester, tasked with poking the powerful in the ribs and asking them why they're so damn serious.

And judging by the existential pearl-clutching that's ensued, I'd say I did my job rather well.

We have no evidence to support this claim. West Point had no role in determining the President's schedule and at no time did West Point convey any such concern to the White House team. I personally worked with the White House team every day last week planning the ceremony, and this was never a part of the conversation.

Lead Stories has asked Kelley for any photos West Point photographers took of the President shaking cadets' hands and will update this fact check if those are sent.

White House Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers rejected the claims. In a May 29, 2025 email to Lead Stories, Rogers wrote:

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 had scheduled important calls with Russia and China to end the wars and ensure lasting peace. While the mainstream media fabricates falsehoods, President Trump is planning a magnificent parade as a grand tribute to honor the service and sacrifice of the brave soldiers who have fought, bled, and died to keep us free.

Lead Stories has asked Rogers for photos or an interview with an on-site staffer to corroborate the declaration that Trump shook hands with hundreds of West Point leaders and cadets before his speech. We will update this report when they reply.

The West Point Honor Code

Part of the academy's culture since the 1800s, the code made official in 1920, is:

A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.

The Honor Code section of the West Point website describes the code as central to the training of future Army officers:

The Cadet Honor Code helps cadets develop into people who are honest all of the time. Over their years at West Point, cadets' daily adherence to the Cadet Honor Code--on decisions big and small--forges strong habits of trustworthy character.

This attuned focus equips cadets to recognize and then to "choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong" whenever faced with a difficult decision. This creates a baseline of honest behavior and a culture that supports character growth.

Cadets are trained to ask themselves a series of questions to align their actions with the code:

The Three Rules ask:

1. Does this action attempt to deceive anyone or allow anyone to be deceived?
2. Does this action gain or allow the gain of privilege or advantage to which I or someone else would not otherwise be entitled?
3. Would I be dissatisfied by the outcome if I were on the receiving end of this action?

If a cadet can answer "Yes" to any of these questions, the act would likely be dishonorable, undermining trust in that cadet and tarnishing the honor of the Corps.

Because the Facebook post relies on unnamed sources and is written by a person who provides no contact information, Lead Stories reached out to seek corroborating or verifying information. The bio section of the page declares Hawks is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Lead Stories reached out through the Hawks page on Facebook and will update with any response received.

Lead Stories called and emailed Col. James Yastrzemsky, director of the Simon Center for the Professional-Military Ethic and will add his comments when he responds. The Simon Center helps cadets with their stewardship of the honor code and conducts character education and ethics training for West Point's future officers.

Readers will find other West Point-related Lead Stories fact checks here.

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