President Obama was welcomed by the Black Knight of the Hudson for his speech at West Point on Wednesday, but less than 25 percent of the cadets gave him a standing ovation upon his introduction, the Daily Mail reported.

“Receiving tepid applause and a short standing ovation from less than one-quarter of the audience upon his introduction, Obama argued for a contradictory foreign policy that relies on NATO and the United Nations while insisting that ‘America must always lead on the world stage,’ the paper reported.

During his speech, which the Wall Street Journal called “consistent with that of every post-Cold War administration,” the president also took a swipe at critics, saying: “I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being. But what makes us exceptional is not our ability to flout international norms and the rule of law; it’s our willingness to affirm them through our actions.”

Much of the president’s speech focused on using military force only as a last resort and working with allies to solve global conflicts.

“I would betray my duty to you, and to the country we love, if I sent you into harm’s way simply because I saw a problem somewhere in the world that needed fixing, or because I was worried about critics who think military intervention is the only way for America to avoid looking weak,” the president said.

The president stressed that the U.S. needed to work with the international community to combat terrorism, and that increased efforts to do so would include a new $5 billion fund. That money would also expand funding for Defense Department intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, special operations and other activities, the Associated Press reported.

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