7 Army Bases To Regain Confederate Names Under Trump

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, June 10, that his management will restore nan original names of 7 U.S. Army bases that antecedently honored Confederate officers. Speaking astatine a ceremonial astatine Fort Bragg, Trump listed nan installations: Fort Hood (Texas), Fort Gordon (Georgia), Fort Rucker (Alabama), Fort Polk (Louisiana), Fort A.P. Hill (Virginia), Fort Pickett (Virginia) and Fort Robert E. Lee (Virginia).

These bases had been renamed during nan Biden management to grant figures without ties to nan Confederacy, including dressed up Black and Hispanic work members and Medal of Honor recipients.

Why did nan Biden management alteration nan names of bases successful nan first place?

The renaming process began nether a 2022 Pentagon Naming Commission study pursuing nationalist protests complete systemic racism. Congress authorized nan committee to urge changes for U.S. subject installations named aft Confederate leaders.

By 2023, nan subject implemented nan changes. Fort Bragg became Fort Liberty, and nan subject renamed different bases aft figures for illustration Gen. Richard E. Cavazos and Sgt. William Henry Johnson. In immoderate cases, caller names honored work members who shared surnames pinch nan original guidelines namesakes, arsenic pinch Roland L. Bragg astatine Fort Bragg.

Trump’s rationale for restoring nan names

During his speech, Trump framed nan move arsenic a matter of contented and subject morale.

“We won a batch of battles retired of those forts. It’s nary clip to change,” he told troops astatine Fort Bragg. He added, “I’m superstitious, you know? I for illustration to support it going.”

Trump said that his reversal aligned pinch his broader efforts to rotation backmost diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs crossed nan military. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed nan bid restoring nan name of Fort Bragg earlier this year.

Reactions and governmental fallout

Critics and immoderate subject commentators person condemned nan decision. An relationship affiliated pinch Republicans Against Trump posted connected X that restoring Confederate names runs antagonistic to halfway patriotic values. 

Trump supporters, however, position nan move arsenic a rejection of what they telephone “woke” reforms.

Hegseth said, “We’re not a assemblage aliases a university. We’re not willing successful your woke garbage and your governmental correctness.”

What’s adjacent for Trump’s subject agenda?

Trump is expected to item nan sanction restoration astatine a military parade this Saturday successful Washington, D.C., commemorating nan Army’s 250th day – and his ain 79th birthday. 

Meanwhile, protests dubbed “No Kings Day” are planned crossed nan country, organized by critics who reason what they position arsenic authoritarian themes successful Trump’s leadership.