President Donald Trump made headlines on Tuesday by announcing that the Pentagon will restore the names of seven remaining military installations that were originally named after Confederate generals. This decision comes after two other bases, Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, were reverted to their original names earlier this year.
The Bases Affected and Trump’s Announcement
During a celebration at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, marking the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, Trump revealed that the names of bases such as Fort Picket, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rutger, Fort Poke, Fort AP Hill, and Fort Robert E. Lee would be changed back to their original titles, which honor Confederate leaders.
These bases had been renamed in 2023 to names like Fort Barfoot in Virginia, Fort Cazavos in Texas, Fort Eisenhower in Georgia, and Fort Johnson in Louisiana, to honor other historical figures.
“We’re restoring the names,” Trump told the audience. “It’s no time to change. I’m superstitious, you know? I like to keep it going, right?” His announcement was well-received by some but sparked controversy due to the historical significance of the Confederate leaders after whom these bases were named.
Background of the Controversy
Trump’s announcement fulfills a campaign promise to revert the names of military bases back to those of Confederate generals, a decision that follows a recommendation from a Congressionally mandated commission in 2022.
The commission had proposed new names for nine military bases that had been named after Confederate figures, a decision that came amid growing national debate about Confederate symbols and their place in modern American society.
The reversion of names to their original titles began earlier this year when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered that two bases, Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, be restored to their original names.
However, these changes were made with an important distinction: the new names honor different individuals, rather than the Confederate generals they were originally named after.
Fort Bragg, for example, now honors Private First Class Roland Bragg, a World War II paratrooper, instead of Confederate General Braxton Bragg, known for his loss of several key battles during the Civil War. Similarly, Fort Benning now pays tribute to Cpl. Fred G. Benning, a hero from World War I, instead of honoring Confederate Lt. Gen. Henry Benning, who opposed the abolition of slavery.
The Politics Behind the Renaming Efforts
The push to remove Confederate names from military bases has been part of a larger political debate that has lasted for years. In 2020, the annual defense authorization bill included a provision that banned the Department of Defense from naming any assets after Confederate figures.
At the time, Trump vetoed the defense legislation partly because of this provision, but Congress successfully overrode his veto.
In 2021, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) created a commission to recommend new names for military bases named after Confederate leaders. In 2023, the military installations officially received their new names through ceremonies and celebrations.
However, Trump’s decision to restore the original names reflects his opposition to these changes and his continued support for honoring Confederate figures.
A National Debate
The debate over whether to continue honoring Confederate generals in modern America has been a deeply divisive issue. Supporters of the renaming argue that honoring figures who fought to uphold slavery is inconsistent with the values of equality and justice that the U.S. military represents today.
On the other hand, opponents like Trump and some members of the Republican Party view the renaming as an erasure of history and an attempt to rewrite the country’s past.
For many, the renaming effort was part of a broader national reckoning with systemic racism, especially following the 2020 protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. The removal of Confederate symbols and the renaming of military bases were seen as a step toward addressing the lingering legacy of racism in American institutions.