Trump's Military Muscle Flex L.A. on Lockdown?

Trump Defends Military Deployment to Los Angeles During Fort Bragg Visit

During a visit to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, President Donald Trump staunchly defended his decision to deploy the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, signaling a significant shift in his approach to using the U.S. military on domestic soil.

This move comes amidst preparations for a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C., raising concerns among some former and current military officials.

Trump's stance marks a departure from his first term when advisors often acted as "guardrails" against his more extreme impulses. Former Defense Secretary James Mattis reportedly preferred to "swallow acid" rather than organize a military parade at Trump's request, while Mark Esper cautioned against using active-duty troops for law enforcement except as a last resort.

"We will use every asset at our disposal to quell the violence and restore law and order right away," Trump declared at Fort Bragg. "We’re not going … to wait for a governor that’s never going to call and watch cities burn."

This week's deployment highlights the extent to which restraints on Trump's use of the military have seemingly evaporated. He no longer appears concerned about the legality of activating the National Guard against a governor's wishes, nor is he swayed by arguments that large military parades are more befitting of dictators than democratically elected leaders.

Retired Adm. James Stavridis, former NATO supreme allied commander, described the situation as a "negative split screen moment," with tanks parading through Washington while Marines are deployed against protesters in Los Angeles.

At Fort Bragg, Trump framed the upcoming parade as a display of strength and national pride. "And Saturday is going to be a big day in Washington, DC, and a lot of people say we don’t want to do that. We do. We want to show off a little bit," he told service members and their families.

The event at Fort Bragg resembled a political rally, complete with booing at mentions of former President Joe Biden. Attendees were greeted by military tanks and fighter vehicles as part of a static display.

Several members of the military expressed support for Trump's actions:

• George Ahouman: "It’s always a tough decision to make. We have to do what we have to do regardless."
• Toby Cash: "At the end of the day we’ve just got to follow orders."
• Will Schmidt: "Personally, I’m in support of it. It’s kind of like one of the reasons we have a National Guard."
• Raymond Cervantes: Argued Trump's visit and the parade "shows he cares."

Trump's administration also reversed the decision to rename Fort Bragg, originally named after a Confederate general, back to its original name, but now citing World War II paratrooper Roland Bragg as the namesake. He also announced plans to restore the names of other bases originally named after Confederates.

The parade in Washington will feature a significant display of military hardware, including 28 Abrams tanks. Concerns have been raised about potential damage to the city's streets.

Even some Republicans, like Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, have expressed skepticism about the parade's cost, stating, "I wouldn’t spend the money if it were me."

In contrast to Trump's first term, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has shown enthusiasm for the parade and has not voiced misgivings about the troop deployment to Los Angeles.

Trump has long considered using military force to quell protests, but during his first term, advisors discouraged him from invoking the Insurrection Act. He initially seemed to agree that activating the National Guard without a governor's request would be illegal.

However, Trump later expressed regret for following that advice, stating, "I waited for governors to say, send in the National Guard. They wouldn’t do it."

The President's recent actions and statements suggest a renewed commitment to utilizing the military to address domestic unrest, unbound by previous constraints and concerns. This shift in approach raises questions about the future role of the U.S. military and its relationship with civilian authority.

Tags: Donald Trump, Fort Bragg, James Mattis, Mark Esper, Military, National Guard, Marines, Law and order, Violent Protests, US News

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/10/politics/trump-military-fort-bragg-los-angeles