During a June 18, 2025, hearing in Washington, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth justified the decision to reinstate the names of military bases originally named after Confederate figures. Following a 2020 congressional directive to remove Confederate names from military bases, Hegseth asserted that both veterans and personnel currently serving requested the Trump administration to restore these original designations.
Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., criticized Hegseth, disputing veterans’ support and condemning the restoration as honoring Confederate traitors who opposed the United States. Hegseth stated that directives will be issued shortly to the bases to revert their names to the originals, while Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, Ark., welcomed the decision as a restoration of tradition and described the 2020 renamings as a result of “Jacobin fever.”
The debate underscores persistent divisions over military heritage and race, with implications for Army morale and continued political tensions regarding Department of Defense leadership.
