Trump visits Fort Bragg. The base has been renamed twice in 2 years. Why?
- President Trump visited Fort Bragg in North Carolina ahead of the Army's 250th birthday celebration.
- The base was renamed Fort Liberty in 2023 following a Congressional law but changed back to Fort Bragg by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
President Donald Trump is visiting Fort Bragg in North Carolina on June 10 as part of the U.S. Army's 250th birthday celebrations.
His visit comes ahead of the major military parade happening in Washington, D.C., this weekend, which also falls on Trump's 79th birthday. The event will feature soldiers, tanks and helicopters, to name a few.
When former President Joe Biden visited the most populous army base in the country back in 2023, it went by the name Fort Liberty. But when first lady Melania Trump visited in 2019, it was called Fort Bragg.
So what’s behind the name flip-flop?
Congress passes law following racial justice movements that prompts ‘Fort Liberty’
The base was originally named after General Braxton Bragg, who served in the Confederate army in the Civil War.
In 2021, Congress passed a law that banned naming military assets after anyone who voluntarily served or held leadership in the Confederacy. The move came out of the groundswell of racial justice movements in 2020 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. The Confederate states fought against the U.S in the Civil War, largely in a failed effort to protect their states’ rights to enslave human beings.
It was estimated to cost $8 million to update the name of the base at the time.
Hegseth changes base name back, honoring a different soldier
In February 2025, Secretary of State Pete Hegseth announced he was changing the name from Fort Liberty, as it was renamed in 2023, back to Fort Bragg.
"Bragg is back," Hegseth previously told reporters. "It's about that legacy. It's about the connection to the community, to those who served."
But technically, the base is no longer named after a Confederate soldier.
The new name pays tribute to Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, the Department of Defence announced. He was a World War II veteran who earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions during the Battle of the Bulge.
“By instead invoking the name of World War II soldier Private Roland Bragg, Secretary Hegseth has not violated the letter of the law, but he has violated its spirit," Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, previously said in a statement about the name change.
Who is Pete Hegseth?
Trump raised eyebrows when he named Hegseth as his Defense secretary pick, breaking the tradition of filling the position with Pentagon chiefs with long resumes in government.
The Secretary of Defense oversees the largest government agency and acts as the head military policymaker and advisor.
Hegseth, 45, worked with Fox News from 2014 until he left following the news of his nomination. Hegseth joined the Army ROTC in college and was deployed overseas with the Army National Guard after graduating, according to a 2022 article in Reserve + National Guard Magazine. According to his Defense bio, his deployments included Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, and he has also held staff positions in the National Guard.
He has received two Bronze Star Medals, the Joint Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) and the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB), according to his government profile.
Throughout his nomination, Hegseth faced prior allegations of sexual assault, public drinking and abusive treatment toward women. Three Republicans voted against him, but he still gained enough support to be confirmed.
Since taking up his position, Hegseth has followed in Trump's wake by targeting diversity, equity and inclusion in the military.
Where is Fort Bragg, formerly Fort Liberty?
Fort Bragg is in North Carolina, just west of Fayetteville.
It is the largest U.S. military installation by population, according to its website.
Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Paste BN; Reuters
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the Paste BN Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.