Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas made his hopes for the upcoming 2024 presidential election clear in his speech on Feb. 10.

“Now is a time for us to be the men and women in the arena to save the very soul of what I know is the greatest country in the entire world,” Hunt said.

Born and raised in Houston, Hunt grew up in a military family. Having graduated from West Point in 2004, he centered many of his points on his experiences at the Academy.

In one instance, Hunt described the feelings he experienced living on the West Point Campus, surrounded by buildings named after famous generals including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and Robert E. Lee.

“I felt nothing but pride because here I am as a Black man and my siblings living in a building named after a general that fought for the Confederacy,” he said about spending a semester in the Robert E. Lee Barracks. “I am not defined by a name on a building or by a statue. I am defined by being an American.”

Some students felt especially engaged by this part of Hunt’s speech.

“It was very charismatic,” Abbie Huse, ’27, said. “I really liked how he brought up this story.”

Hunt elaborated on the idea of “being an American” and living the American dream.

“I stand before you today literally living the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, for I am being judged not by the color of my skin but by the content of my character,” Hunt said. “Do not allow this country to regress to the past.”

Virginia State Chair Brendan Smith, ’24, said this idea made Hunt stand out among other speakers.

“I thought it was really interesting because he focused on the American dream and his idea of this,” Smith said. “It brought a different perspective from Donald Trump Jr. and Candace Owens.”

Hunt also expressed his opinion on the left’s point of view regarding race.

“[The left] is trying to define us based on racial lines every single day. As I look at this crowd, I think I’m one of the few black people here and that’s okay. I don’t care because, in this crowd, what I see are fellow patriots and what I see are fellow Americans,” he said.

Hunt said he didn’t care what a person looks like but rather whether they have grit, determination and the willingness to work hard. Hunt said “we could all bond together on conservative values” that have “no race, religion, color or creed.”

Hunt also expressed disapproval  of President Biden.

“The world is laughing at us right now because we have a current commander-in-chief that talks to dead people,” Hunt said. “This is the weakest this country has been since Jimmy Carter. The world is recognizing this weakness and that’s why you’re seeing so much turmoil.”

Hunt went on to say that he is a “huge fan of Donald J. Trump” because the U.S. needs someone to take action on “day one” and stop the “foolishness” currently unfolding in the country.

In closing, Hunt said the country needs to return to the progress that he believed defined President Trump’s term in office.

“We had it good. Now we have it bad. Let’s make it good,” Hunt said, adding that Americans have the fighting spirit necessary to restore America’s vitality. “The soul of our country is at stake. The spirit of our future is at stake.”