Trump promises to 'crush' ANY enemies as deadly LA riots spiral during Fort Bragg military demonstration
President Donald Trump hailed an 'awesome display of pure, unrivaled American military might' after troops at Fort Bragg put on a massive military display for him.
'We want to show off a little bit,' Trump told thousands of troops he addressed on a visit to the historic fort in North Carolina, defending the display.
With thousands of the nation's warriors gathered to hear him, Trump issued a series of blunt warnings to protesters in Los Angeles, singling out those who had engaged in violence and 'anarchy.'
He spoke of the 'attacks of a vicious and violent mob.'
Trump called it an 'invasion and Third World lawlessness' – in words that carry potential weight because of the law he invoked to dispatch troops.
He said he wouldn't allow a city to be invaded by a 'foreign enemy.'
'We will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean and safe again,' Trump vowed.
Troops provided President Donald Trump with a powerful demonstration of military muscle – launching rockets that have been vital to the defense of Ukraine while the commander-in-chief looked on.
'I just saw something that was crazy – You don't want to mess …' Trump said after making a dramatic entry from Marine One.
'They just gave me a display that you might be lucky not to see, because it's a little scary. It was beautiful to watch,' he mused.
The president was joined by top military officials on a trip to Fort Bragg to view some of the awesome machinery and personnel at the military's disposal at an installation that helped the the nation prevail in World War II.
He saw powerful launches of HIMARS rockets, saw special operators deposited on a building, and got a flyover by an F-15 aircraft.
The venue – a base where hundreds of thousands of troops from all corners of the country have been stationed over the decades – didn't keep Trump from taking shots at former President Joe Biden and what he called the 'fake news.'
Using language that could have been ripped from a campaign Trump rally, Trump called 'open borders' the 'dumbest policy yet,' then said it was 'even dumber than men playing in women's sports, transgender for everyone.'
Trump's administration is in court over ending the Biden administration's policy on transgender troops.
He vowed that Fort Bragg would never go through a name change again – and rattled off a series of forts being named – including one for Robert E. Lee.
Photo images captured Trump with troops viewing the awesome display of military might.
Longtime Trump aide Dan Scavino posted dramatic footage of Trump viewing the rocket launches.
When Marine One touched down for Trump's speech, 'Macho Man' by the Village People was playing to the crowd. The song is a staple at Trump rallies.
Trump's remarks were laced with emotive language touting American power and warning any potential enemies.
'Our army has smashed foreign empires, humbled kings toppled tyrants and hunted terrorist savages through the very gates of hell,' Trump said from the 'one and only Fort Bragg.'
He vowed to US enemies that the US military would 'chase you down, crush you and cast you into oblivion.'
'Remember it was only that little brief moment that it wasn't called Fort Bragg. It was by the Biden administration,' Trump said – ripping his predecessor over the name change under a law barring names honoring Confederates.
It all came on a day when California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused Trump of 'turning the U.S. military against American citizens' with his decision to send forces into Los Angeles amid destructive street protests there.
Trump flew to North Carolina to tour the base, which hosts more than 50,000, in anticipation of a parade in DC that will mark the 250th anniversary of the US Army.
Trump on Monday denied that the massive $45 million parade was a tribute to his own birthday, which coincides with the event.
He spoke about the event again Tuesday, vowing the protesters would be met by 'heavy force.'
'We're going to be celebrating big on Saturday,' he said. 'And if there's any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force.' He continued: 'I haven't even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.'
Trump got the military demonstration before addressing about 15,000 troops.
He was set to visit a bunker and get to see a display of powerful artillery, along with special forces and paratroopers.
For Bragg serves as the headquarters of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and houses highly skilled Green Berets and the historic 82nd Airborne Division.
Accompanying him is embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, and has made a habit of working out with troops during visits.
During remarks on Monday, Trump revisted his complaints about renaming historic facilities like Fort Bragg.
'We win World Wars from Fort, Robert E. Lee, from Fort, Bragg – from all the different forts. And what do we do? We change the name of the forts because we want to be politically correct,' Trump complained.
The base was renamed Fort Liberty in accordance with a 2020 federal law barring naming facilities after people who fought on behalf of the South against the United States during the Civil War. (The law was enacted over Trump's veto during his first term).
Now, his administration found a workaround by renaming it in February after Private First Class Roland Bragg, rather than the slaveowning Confederate Braxton Bragg it was previously named after.
Bragg was also a 'famously poor general' who helped lead an armed insurrection against the U.S. As it turns out, Trump visted the nation's largest military installation on a day he warned he might use the Insurrection Act to put down street protests in Los Angeles he has described as a rebellion.
The Army is already lining up some of its hardware at the Pentagon
Trump's decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops, along with 700 Marines, to Los Angeles to restore order there. California on Monday sued, saying the deployment is unlawful without the consent of Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.
It also comes days before Trump hosts a military parade in DC honoring the 250th anniversary of the Army. Trump has denied that it has to do with his 79th birthday, which falls on the same day.
Tanks could be seen rolling into Washington in preparation for the event.
Trump on Monday revisited complaints about the U.S. not getting enough credit for the allied victory in World War II.
He recalled watching other countries including France and Russia mark the end of World War II on Victory in Europe Day, bringing up the millions of casualties sustained by Russia and once again claimed 'Hitler made a speech at the Eiffel Tower' – although there is no record of one.
Dozens of tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, along with Strykers and other armored vehicles will all be part of the show of strength in the Nation's capital.
'It's going to be a parade, the likes of which, I don't know if we've ever had a parade like that. It's going to be incredible,' Trump said Monday.
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