In a recent move, President Donald Trump has appointed several of his close allies to the board of visitors for the U.S. Naval Academy. This decision follows the dismissal of the previous board members just a month ago.
Walt Nauta, a trusted aide to Trump and a Navy veteran, is among those nominated. Nauta, previously indicted in a classified documents case alongside Trump, had the charges against him dismissed after Trump’s assumption of the presidency. He remains active in Trump’s circle, evidenced by recent travels with the president.
Alongside Nauta, Trump has nominated former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, former Navy SEAL Rep. Derrick Van Orden, and former presidential physician Rep. Ronny Jackson, commonly referred to as “Doc Ronny.”
These nominations reflect a broader effort by Trump to reshape advisory boards across military academies. This follows his actions in February, where he dismissed the boards of the Naval Academy as well as those of the Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard. These boards play a vital role as advisory bodies that oversee program development and student life in these institutions.
The changes seem to be part of Trump’s broader initiative to eliminate what he describes as “Woke Leftist Ideologues” from influential positions. In 2021, the Biden administration had also made similar changes, removing Trump appointees including Spicer, who legally contested his removal but was unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Trump’s restructuring doesn’t stop at military academies. On the same day, he completed nominations for the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, appointing two Fox News hosts. Trump praised the nominees as an “incredible group of patriots,” emphasizing their potential impact on maintaining the institution’s values.
Trump’s recent appointments to the Naval Academy board and other key positions illustrate his continued influence and strategic restructuring efforts. These moves underscore a focus on aligning advisory bodies with his administration’s priorities.
