Donald Trump to celebrate Army's 250th anniversary at Fort Bragg amid backlash over military deployment in Los Angeles

US President Donald Trump will speak on Tuesday (June 10) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Army. The event will include Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, service members, veterans, and their families.

Located near Fayetteville, Fort Bragg — renamed Fort Liberty two years ago but recently reverted by Hegseth — houses elite units including the Green Berets and Army Rangers.

Military parade planned for Trump’s birthday

Trump has tied the Army’s milestone to a planned military parade in Washington, D.C., set for Saturday (June 14) which also marks his 79th birthday.

Troops deployed to Los Angeles amid protests

Trump’s Fort Bragg appearance comes as his administration faces backlash for deploying military personnel in Los Angeles to suppress escalating immigration protests.

The president has authorised 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 US Marines to deploy to the city, despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

“We're gonna have troops everywhere,” Trump said over the weekend. “We're not going to let this happen to our country.”

California pushes back

Gavin Newsom has filed a lawsuit against the federal deployment, calling it unconstitutional.

Newsom accused Trump of “stoking unrest,” after protesters blocked a major freeway and set autonomous vehicles ablaze.

Bragg name controversy resurfaces

Trump’s return to Fort Bragg revives a broader cultural battle. The base, originally named for a Confederate general, was changed to Fort Liberty in 2023 following national calls for racial reckoning.

However, Secretary Hegseth reinstated the Bragg name, claiming it now honors a World War II paratrooper instead of its Confederate namesake.