Trump says he won't consider renaming military bases named for Confederate generals
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would not consider renaming a number of military bases that are currently named for Confederate military leaders after his defense and Army secretaries signaled they would be willing to discuss the issue earlier this week.
"These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom. The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars," Trump tweeted. "Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations."
Trump did not address the issue of Confederate generals, but rather focused on the legacy of the facilities themselves, listing three bases in the South named for generals in the Confederate army.
"Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!" he said.
It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 10, 2020
Trump's tweet exposes a widening rift between the White House and the Pentagon. Senior civilian and uniform officers, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, indicated earlier this week their willingness to consider renaming the bases that honor Confederate generals.
Last week, Esper and Milley drew sharp rebukes from retired counterparts for their roles in the military's response to protests following the death of George Floyd. Esper had referred to American cities affected by demonstrations as "battle space" and Milley was photographed in his camouflage uniform walking on a path cleared of mostly peaceful protesters near the White House.
The Army has 10 posts named after Confederate generals, including Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Benning in Georgia and Fort Hood in Texas, which Trump listed in his Wednesday tweets.
More: Marines order Confederate flags removed in ban that includes bumper stickers and clothing
More: Army to consider changing names of forts named after Confederate generals
On Tuesday, the Navy also announced that Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of naval operations, plans to ban display of the Confederate battle flag from public workspaces on bases, ships, aircraft and submarines. Last week, the Marine Corps banned the display of the Confederate battle flag.
The announcements come in the wake of nationwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality after the death of Floyd, a black man who was pinned down by a police officer in Minneapolis on Memorial Day as he said he couldn't breathe. Protesters have called for the removal of memorials to Confederate figures, and officials in some locations have announced plans to do so.
Aides had predicted the president would oppose the renaming, saying it smacked too much of "political correctness."
They noted that Trump opposed the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, the location of deadly riots during which a protester was killed.
"Where will it end?" Trump told reporters in August 2017.
Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus wrote in The Atlantic that the names should be changed.
"These bases are, after all, federal installations, home to soldiers who swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," Petraeus wrote. "The irony of training at bases named for those who took up arms against the United States, and for the right to enslave others, is inescapable to anyone paying attention."
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at a news briefing that the president “fervently” opposes renaming forts, arguing that it was disrespectful to American soldiers killed overseas.
“A lot of times the very last place they saw was one of these forts and to suggest that these forts are somehow inherently racist and their names need to be changed, is a complete disrespect to the men and women who the last bit of American land they saw, before they went overseas and lost their lives, were these forts,” she said.
Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, Courtney Subramanian, David Jackson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump opposed to renaming military bases named for Confederate leaders
