President Trump kicked off the US Army's 250th birthday celebration with a visit to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The speech was quintessential Trump. He talked smack about Joe Biden, bashed Gavin Newsom, lauded the history of the US Army in general, with a focus on the airborne and special forces communities, as one would expect from the venue, and made a bit of news. Pete Hegseth was with Trump, fresh from his baptism of fire on Capitol Hill.
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As the White House has not released a text of the speech, stick with me as I inundate you with video clips.
The Entrance
Trump arrived at the stadium aboard Marine One. The arrival music was Rick Derringer's "Real American," which has become Hulk Hogan's theme song.
Marine One touches down at Pike Field on Fort Bragg — where @POTUS will celebrate the @USArmy's 250th birthday pic.twitter.com/wWuSm5oW9F
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
Taking the Stage
The crowd went wild when Trump was introduced. When he took the stage, his "walk up music," so to speak, was Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." and chants of "USA."
The crowd at Fort Bragg just went WILD when Trump took the stage.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) June 10, 2025
Patriots! pic.twitter.com/qixnJFJfNR
This is not "command directed" enthusiasm.
WATCH: @POTUS arrives to speak to the troops at Fort Bragg for the @USArmy's 250th birthday 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/6saWxt3EpM
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
New Headgear
Instead of his signature red MAGA cap, Trump sported the official Fort Bragg cap. It is maroon, the universal color of airborne forces. This is the logo on the front:
Is the symbol on Trump's burgundy hat at the Fort Bragg rally this? BTW, who knew burgundy hats or even burgundy anything could look so cool pic.twitter.com/BWAfwjWA6l
— Gentle 🦋🐈 Sojourner (@GentleSojourner) June 10, 2025
The tweet calls the cap color burgundy, but I'm a guy, and I only see it in 16 colors. Plus, burgundy is something you enjoy with a steak.
A Swipe at Biden
One of President Trump's earliest acts was to reverse the shameful kowtowing of Joe Biden to the woke forces running amok in the aftermath of their victory over common sense after the George Floyd "mostly peaceful" riots. Fort Bragg, which virtually no one knew who it was named after or even cared, was ordered to change its name to Fort Liberty. Generations of soldiers served there, and replacing the storied name with something that sounds more like a Hay Street stripper's moniker was deeply resented and never accepted. The crowd's reaction leaves no doubt about its feelings.
.@POTUS: "It's a beautiful sight to be with you in a place called FORT BRAGG! Can you believe they changed that name in the last administration?... God Bless the U.S. Army and God Bless the USA." pic.twitter.com/IH9eJbQuUM
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
Praise for the Army
.@POTUS: "This week, we honor 250 years of valor, and glory, and triumph by the greatest fighting force ever to walk the face of the Earth: The United States Army. For two and a half centuries, our soldiers have marched into the raging fires of battle and obliterated America's… pic.twitter.com/ySJ6IT3O3b
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
"This week, we honor 250 years of valor, and glory, and triumph by the greatest fighting force ever to walk the face of the Earth: The United States Army. For two and a half centuries, our soldiers have marched into the raging fires of battle and obliterated America's enemies."
"We only have a country because we first had an Army," says @POTUS.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
"After 250 years, we still proudly declare that we are free because you are strong ... We're safe because you are brave — and America’s Flag will never fall because America's Army will never, ever fail." pic.twitter.com/SrEWNbyeeL
"We only have a country because we first had an Army. After 250 years, we still proudly declare that we are free because you are strong ... We're safe because you are brave — and America’s Flag will never fall because America's Army will never, ever fail."
.@POTUS: "For our adversaries, there is no greater fear than the United States Army... But for the American people, there is no greater pride—because YOU are the righteous sword of American Justice, and the ultimate shield of American Freedom." pic.twitter.com/zcEYOjZ37N
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
"For our adversaries, there is no greater fear than the United States Army... But for the American people, there is no greater pride—because YOU are the righteous sword of American Justice, and the ultimate shield of American Freedom."
Los Angeles
.@POTUS: "Generations of Army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness here at home — like is happening in California. As commander-in-chief, I will NOT let that happen." 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YNSCC03g5P
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
.@POTUS: "They proudly carry the flags of other countries, but they don't carry the American flag. They only burn it... People that burn the American flag should go to jail for one year. And we'll see if we can get that done." pic.twitter.com/V4XMK9SNfQ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
.@POTUS: "Within the span of a few decades, Los Angeles has gone from being one of the cleanest, safest and most beautiful cities on earth, to being a trash heap with entire neighborhoods under the control of transnational gangs... As the entire world can now see, uncontrolled… pic.twitter.com/oPm1Qbf9kt
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
.@POTUS: "The only flag that will wave triumphant over the streets of Los Angeles is the American Flag — SO HELP ME GOD." 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/R24qAnzQLZ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2025
The psyops guys at the JFK Special Warfare Center could not have done a better job framing what is at stake in Los Angeles than Trump did on Tuesday at Fort Bragg.
The News, Sorta
As I noted above, in the aftermath of the violent insurrection during the George Floyd summer of peace, Biden renamed Army bases named for Confederate generals to more politically correct names. Two of those bases, Forts Bragg and Benning, have been renamed by Trump, but using the subterfuge of finding rather obscure figures as namesakes rather than an in-your-face reversal of Biden's gutlessness. This is Trump's announcement:
BREAKING: WE ARE RESTORING THE NAMES OF FORT PICKETT, HOOD, GORDON, RUCKER, POLK, A.P. HILL, AND ROBERT E. LEE pic.twitter.com/yXaGXOP6Xg
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) June 10, 2025
"We're restoring the names of Fort Pickett, Hood, Gordon, Rucker, Polk, A.P. Hill, and Robert E. Lee."
Great, but it isn't really true. Fort Lee, Virginia, is returning but will not be named after Marse Robert. The Army released a statement saying, "The Army will take all necessary actions to change the names of seven Army installations in honor of heroic Soldiers who served in conflicts ranging from the Civil War to the Battle of Mogadishu. Five of them received the Medal of Honor, three received the Distinguished Service Cross and one received the Silver Star."
Fort Lee "will be named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Pvt. Fitz Lee, a Black “Buffalo Soldier,” for his heroism during the Spanish-American War. During a coastal assault in Cuba, Lee voluntarily disembarked under direct enemy fire to rescue wounded comrades from the battlefield."
The old base names with their new namesakes can be found at the link. Of all the changes, I'm 100 percent down with naming a base after Delta sniper Master Sergeant Gary Gordon.
The ExitMusic by the Village People; choreography by Donald Trump.
🚨 WATCH: Soldiers at Fort Bragg just ERUPTED in cheers as President Trump started doing his signature YMCA dance
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 10, 2025
No Commander-in-Chief has been loved by his men more than President Trump 🇺🇸
Morale is through the ROOF pic.twitter.com/5WEhWyDwfC
The untold story here is that a pair of members of the E-4 mafia seem to have been responsible. Watch the far left of the front row beginning at 0:03.
This clip of the two Soldiers getting Trump to dance after his speech at Bragg has me dying. pic.twitter.com/pHpvNDAshm
— QQSS (@AMobOfDucks) June 10, 2025
The Whoie Event
If you want to watch the whole event, the video is below.
The speech hit a lot of points, and I would say he mostly hit them pitch perfect if you are not trying to be all things to all people. The praise of the Army and its traditions was well received, and the affinity for the rank-and-file for their president was evident. The discussion of Los Angeles will cause a lot of leftist drawers to be firmly knotted, but the theme he hit today and Fort Bragg will be rolled out across America in the coming few weeks. The base renaming announcement was a hit, despite the tortuous route taken. Some of the forays into the Big Beautiful Bill were probably lost on the audience, but there was no doubt that Trump brought his "A game" to Fort Bragg, and the respect that showed will be repaid.
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