President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, June 10, that his administration will restore the original names of seven U.S. Army bases that previously honored Confederate officers. Speaking at a ceremony at Fort Bragg, Trump listed the 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 the Biden administration to honor figures without ties to the Confederacy, including decorated Black and Hispanic service members and Medal of Honor recipients.
Why did the Biden administration change the names of bases in the first place?
The renaming process began under a 2022 Pentagon Naming Commission report following national protests over systemic racism. Congress authorized the commission to recommend changes for U.S. military installations named after Confederate leaders.
By 2023, the military implemented the changes. Fort Bragg became Fort Liberty, and the military renamed other bases after figures like Gen. Richard E. Cavazos and Sgt. William Henry Johnson. In some cases, new names honored service members who shared surnames with the original base namesakes, as with Roland L. Bragg at Fort Bragg.
Trump’s rationale for restoring the names
During his speech, Trump framed the move as a matter of tradition and military morale.
“We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change,” he told troops at Fort Bragg. He added, “I’m superstitious, you know? I like to keep it going.”
Trump said that his reversal aligned with his broader efforts to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs across the military. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed the order restoring the name of Fort Bragg earlier this year.
Reactions and political fallout
Critics and some military commentators have condemned the decision. An account affiliated with Republicans Against Trump posted on X that restoring Confederate names runs counter to core patriotic values.
Trump supporters, however, view the move as a rejection of what they call “woke” reforms.
Hegseth said, “We’re not a college or a university. We’re not interested in your woke garbage and your political correctness.”
What’s next for Trump’s military agenda?
Trump is expected to highlight the name restoration at a military parade this Saturday in Washington, D.C., commemorating the Army’s 250th anniversary – and his own 79th birthday.
Meanwhile, protests dubbed “No Kings Day” are planned across the country, organized by critics who oppose what they view as authoritarian themes in Trump’s leadership.
