WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is set to address a gathering at Fort Bragg on Tuesday, marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military and sending troops to manage immigration protests in Los Angeles.
Fort Bragg, situated near Fayetteville, North Carolina, is the hub for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and is home to elite units like the Green Berets and Rangers.
Joining Trump at the event will be Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, along with service members, veterans, and their families.
Last Saturday, Trump highlighted Army Memorial Day as a backdrop for a military parade in Washington, D.C. This event also coincides with his 79th birthday. Tanks and several military vehicles are planned to parade through the city, a spectacle that evokes the ongoing changes in the military under his watch.
Trump views the military as a crucial resource for addressing domestic issues, utilizing recent protests in Los Angeles as a chance to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to tackle disturbances initiated by protests against immigration raids.
He authorized the deployment of 4,000 National Guard personnel in response to pushback from California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. Additionally, around 700 Marines are slated for official deployment in Los Angeles.
California has initiated legal action against Trump concerning these deployments, with the state’s attorney general claiming the president has infringed upon the state’s sovereignty. Local leaders in California have accused Trump of inflaming tensions, leading to significant disruptions like highway blockades and the destruction of self-driving cars.
“We’re going to have an army everywhere,” Trump stated over the weekend. “We are not going to let this happen to our country.”
Fort Bragg is currently the center of a cultural debate, having been named after a Confederate general before being renamed Fort Liberty two years ago.
Hegseth has since reclaimed the original name, claiming it was intended to honor the Army’s airborne troops from World War II.
