WASHINGTON, D.C. (LOOTPRESS) — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that his administration will restore the original names of several U.S. Army bases that once honored Confederate figures, reversing a renaming process completed under President Biden. However, the new designations will now honor non-Confederate service members with similar last names.
Speaking at Fort Bragg in North Carolina — which the Trump administration recently renamed from Fort Liberty — the president defended the decision, saying, “We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change. And I’m superstitious, you know?”
Seven Army bases are slated for name changes under this directive. While the names will closely resemble their previous Confederate-linked titles, each will now officially recognize U.S. military personnel who did not serve the Confederacy:
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Fort Gordon (GA): Will honor Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon instead of Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon.
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Fort A.P. Hill (VA): Will now recognize Lt. Col. Edward Hill, 1st Sgt. Robert A. Pinn, and Pvt. Bruce Anderson, replacing Dr. Mary Walker.
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Fort Hood (TX): Will honor Col. Robert B. Hood, instead of Gen. Richard Cavazos.
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Fort Lee (VA): Will be renamed for Pvt. Fitz Lee, replacing the previous tribute to Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams.
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Fort Pickett (VA): Will now honor 1st Lt. Vernon W. Pickett.
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Fort Polk (LA): Will be named after Gen. James H. Polk.
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Fort Rucker (AL): Will now recognize Capt. Edward W. Rucker.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration also restored the names Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, which had been changed to Fort Liberty and Fort Moore, respectively. These names now honor soldiers with the last names Bragg and Benning, though not the Confederate generals originally referenced.
According to an Army spokesperson, Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll has been directed to begin the renaming process immediately.
The decision effectively rolls back the work of the Congressional Naming Commission, a bipartisan panel established in 2021 to remove Confederate references from military property. The commission was launched after lawmakers overrode Trump’s veto during his first term, as part of a broader national effort to address Confederate symbols following the 2020 racial justice protests.
The president’s action sidesteps direct homage to the Confederacy while restoring the base names’ historical familiarity — a move likely to draw both support and criticism across political lines.
