FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump called protesters in Los Angeles “animals” and “a foreign enemy” in a speech at Fort Bragg on Tuesday as he defended deploying the military on demonstrators opposed to his immigration enforcement raids.
Trump, in his most aggressive language yet regarding the protests in Los Angeles, used a speech ostensibly supposed to be used to recognize the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army to denounce the protesters while repeating his false statements about the 2020 election being rigged and attacking the previous commander-in-chief, former President Joe Biden.
The Republican president, who sees the military as a critical tool for domestic goals, has used the recent protests in Los Angeles as an opportunity to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines over the objections of California's Democratic governor to quell disturbances that began as protests over immigration raids. While protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire over the weekend in Los Angeles, the demonstrations in the city of 4 million people have largely been centered in several blocks of downtown.
“We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy. That’s what they are," Trump said Tuesday.
Trump’s heated rhetoric came has he’s left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, one of the most extreme emergency powers available to the president. It authorizes him to deploy military forces inside the U.S. to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations.
Trump received plenty of cheers from the crowd, but some in the audience were uneasy with parts of his remarks.
Robin Boothe, 50, works on the base as an audiology assistant. She voted for the president and said his speech was “classic Trump.” However, she also found it to be too partisan, especially his comments on Los Angeles.
“I thought that was better left for a press conference than what we were celebrating today," she said.
The president also called Los Angeles “a trash heap” with “entire neighborhoods under control” of criminals and said the federal government would ”use every asset at our disposal to quell the violence and restore law and order.”
“We will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean, and safe again," Trump added.
Trump has authorized the deployment of 4,000 National Guard soldiers to the city over the objections of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. About 700 Marines were deployed to the Los Angeles area, but had not yet been sent to respond to the protests.
California sued Trump over the deployment, with the state attorney general arguing that the president had “trampled” the state’s sovereignty. California leaders accused Trump of fanning protesters’ anger, leading crowds to block off a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire.
Trump also announced his administration was restoring the names of seven military bases that were given the monikers of Confederate leaders until being changed by the Biden administration. Fort Pickett, Fort Robert E. Lee and Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Rucker in Alabama, and Fort Polk in Louisiana will have their names changed back, Trump said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth already brought back the names of Fort Bragg and Fort Benning in Georgia.
“Can you believe they changed that name in the last administration for a little bit?” Trump said. “We’ll forget all about that.”
Before he spoke, Trump watched the U.S. Army demonstrate a missile strike, a helicopter assault and a building raid, a preview of the kind of show of American military might he's expected to display in the nation's capital for a massive military parade this weekend.
Trump has promoted the Army’s anniversary as a reason to hold the parade on Saturday, which is also his 79th birthday. Tanks and other vehicles will roll down city streets in a reminder of how the Republican president is reshaping the armed forces after returning to the White House this year.
“I think it’s going to be great," Trump told reporters at the White House earlier Tuesday. "We’re going to celebrate our country for a change.”
Fort Bragg, which is located near Fayetteville, North Carolina, serves as headquarters for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Highly trained units like the Green Berets and the 82nd Airborne are based there.
The atmosphere resembled a state fair with military flair. Inflatable slides and attractions for children were set up in a field, with artillery, trucks and helicopters parked on another section of the lawn. Right outside the security checkpoint — but still on the base — two stands were selling Trump political hats, T-shirts and other paraphernalia.
Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll were also at Tuesday’s event, along with service members, veterans and their families.
Driscoll, who spoke to the crowd before Trump arrived, called the president “the greatest recruiter in our Army’s history.”
Hegseth told the crowd that the U.S. is “restoring the warrior ethos” to its armed forces.
“We’re not a college or a university. We’re not interested in your woke garbage and political correctness,” Hegseth said, drawing cheers.
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Price reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. Follow the AP's coverage of President Donald Trump at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump.
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This story has been corrected to reflect that the 82nd Airborne Division, not the U.S. Army Rangers, is based at Fort Bragg.
Chris Megerian And Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
