Trump Vows to Restore Original Names of U.S. Army Bases Renamed Under Biden Administration
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that his administration will reverse the renaming of several U.S. Army bases that were changed during former President Joe Biden’s term, calling the move “politically motivated” and “unnecessary.”
Speaking before a cheering crowd at Fort Bragg during the America 250 celebration, Trump declared his intention to reinstate the original names of seven military installations, including Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Polk, Fort A.P. Hill, and Fort Robert E. Lee.
“We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change,” Trump said. “And I’m superstitious. I like to keep it going, right?”
The seven bases were renamed in 2023 in accordance with a Pentagon directive under the Biden administration, which implemented a congressional mandate from 2021 to remove names associated with Confederate leaders and symbols. The renamings honored decorated U.S. service members from various wars, including World War II, World War I, and the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.
Among those honored in the new names were 1st Lt. Vernon W. Pickett, Col. Robert B. Hood, and Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon — all recipients of the nation’s highest military awards, including the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross.
Following Trump’s remarks, the U.S. Army issued a statement defending the 2023 changes, emphasizing that the renamed bases now commemorate “heroic Soldiers who served in conflicts ranging from the Civil War to the Battle of Mogadishu.”
Despite the Army’s statement, Trump framed his proposal as a defense of history and tradition, dismissing the renamings as politically driven revisions.
“We just announced that today to you for the first time,” he told the audience. “They said, ‘Why didn’t you wait till Saturday?’ I said, ‘I can’t wait. I got to talk to my friends here today.’”
The announcement comes ahead of a major military parade scheduled for Saturday, June 14, in Washington, D.C., expected to draw large crowds and political attention.
