Trump marks Army milestone as troops deployed to Los Angeles
FORT BRAGG, North Carolina: President Donald Trump celebrated soldiers in North Carolina on Tuesday (Jun 10) as he threatened force against Washington military parade protesters and deployed troops in a confrontation over US immigration policy.
Trump's visit to Fort Bragg, home to some 50,000 active-duty soldiers, for long-scheduled commemorations of the US Army's 250th anniversary followed his move to deploy 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in an escalating response to street protests over his immigration policies.
The Republican president defended the decision to reporters, saying it was needed to protect federal property and personnel. California's Democratic-led government has said the move is an abuse of power and an unnecessary provocation.
Street demonstrations in Southern California have been underway since Friday, when activists clashed with sheriff's deputies.
In North Carolina, Trump addressed troops after he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watched soldiers demonstrate a special forces assault on a building and use a long-range missile launcher on base.
It was the first in a series of celebrations of the Army anniversary involving Trump, ahead of a major parade in Washington on Saturday.
Trump on Tuesday warned against demonstrations against that parade, telling reporters, "they're going to be met with very big force". The FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department have said there are no credible threats to the event.
The week's Army commemorations combine Trump's penchant for patriotic pomp and his political positioning as a law-and-order president. Saturday's celebrations in Washington include thousands of troops, dozens of military aircraft and coincide with Trump's 79th birthday.
The Army was established on Jun 14, 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence.
Earlier this year, Trump restored the name Fort Bragg to the base, one of the largest in the world, despite a federal law that prohibits honouring generals who fought for the South during the Civil War. His administration says the name now honours a different Bragg - Private First Class Roland Bragg, who served during World War Two. In 2023, the base had been renamed Fort Liberty, a change driven by racial justice protests.
Since launching his second term in office in January, Trump has made the military a focus of his efforts, with his defence secretary working to purge transgender service members, top officials appointed under his Democratic predecessor, and even books deemed out of step.
The president's cost-cutting government reforms have largely spared the Defense Department's nearly US$1 trillion annual budget. He has pledged to avoid international conflict while launching new weapons programs and increasing the use of the military domestically, including in immigration enforcement.
Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people who are in the country illegally and to lock down the US-Mexico border, setting the ICE border enforcement agency a daily goal of arresting at least 3,000 migrants.
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