By CHRIS MEGERIAN, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to speak at Fort Bragg on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army as he deploys the military in an attempt to quiet immigration protests in Los Angeles.
Fort Bragg, located near Fayetteville, North Carolina, serves as headquarters for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Highly trained units like the Green Berets and the Rangers are based there.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will also be at Tuesday’s event, along with service members, veterans and their families.
Trump has promoted the Army’s anniversary as a reason to hold a military parade in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, which is also his 79th birthday. Tanks and other vehicles will roll down city streets in a reminder of how the Republican president is reshaping the armed forces after returning to the White House this year.
Trump, who sees the military as a critical tool for domestic goals, has used the recent protests in Los Angeles as an opportunity to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to quell disturbances that began as protests over immigration raids.
Trump has authorized the deployment of 4,000 National Guard soldiers to the city over the objections of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. About 700 Marines were also due to formally deploy to Los Angeles.
California sued Trump over the deployment, with the state attorney general arguing that the president had “trampled” the state’s sovereignty. California leaders accused Trump of fanning protesters’ anger, leading crowds to block off a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire.
“We’re gonna have troops everywhere,” Trump said over the weekend. “We’re not going to let this happen to our country.”
Fort Bragg has been in the middle of a cultural tug-of-war over the military. It was named after a Confederate general, then renamed to Fort Liberty two years ago.
Hegseth brought back the Bragg name but said it was being used to honor an Army paratrooper who served in World War II.