Trump Is Using Military Bases for Campaign-Style Rallies

President Donald Trump held a campaign-style rally on Friday at Fort Bragg, an active Army base in North Carolina, urging troops to vote for Republicans and criticizing Democrats. Trump entered the base to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and ended the event with the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” He shared the stage with Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman and Senate candidate, while touting his military spending plans and celebrating his restoration of the Fort Bragg name. The rally took place before an audience of uniformed service members. Read more: Trump Signals Greater Use of Military in U.S. Cities, Warning of ‘War From Within’ “You have to vote for us,” Trump told the troops Friday, highlighting his move to restore the Fort Bragg name after Congress directed the Pentagon to rename bases named after Confederate officers. Trump’s administration renamed the installation after Pfc. Ronald L. Bragg instead of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg. “If we don’t win the midterms, they’ll take it off again,” Trump said. “They’ll take it off again. You can’t let that happen.” A majority of the uniformed service members reportedly listened without visible reaction, aside from lifting their phones to record photos and videos.   Friday’s event was not the first time the President has delivered such overtly political remarks at military venues, testing the tradition of separating the armed forces from partisan politics. In his second term, Trump has increasingly ignored that separation, often using military bases as stops for campaign-style political speeches. Defense Department policy bars active-duty service members from engaging in partisan political activity. Army guidance stresses that the institution must remain above politics in both practice and perception. “The Army as an institution must be nonpartisan and appear so too,” the Army field manual states. “Nonpartisanship assures the public that our Army will always serve the Constitution and our people with loyalty and responsibility.” The President is under no such restriction, but most have adhered to the military’s apolitical standards.  TIME has reached out to the White House for comment. Here is a brief history of Trump’s speeches at military events and bases during his second term: Oct. 5, 2025 — Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia Trump marked the Navy’s 250th anniversary in Norfolk while the federal government was shut down, using the event to criticize Democrats over budget negotiations. “Despite the current Democrat-induced shutdown, we will get our service members every last penny,” Trump said. “But we have to take care of this little gnat that sits on our shoulder called the Democrats.” “Despite the current Democrat-induced shutdown, we will get our service members every last penny,” he added. The President attended the ceremony alongside the first lady and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, honoring a 100-year-old World War II veteran and observing military exercises. His remarks, however, focused heavily on the budget impasse and immigration.  September 30, 2025 — Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia  Defense Secretary Hegseth convened a gathering of senior military leaders in September, which Trump joined at the last minute. Speaking before a room of generals and admirals, Trump delivered a speech that observers described as partisan. “The ones that are run by the radical left Democrats… what they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, they’re very unsafe places. And we’re going to straighten them out one by one. This is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room,” he said in a speech to military leaders. “That’s a war too. It’s a war from within.” He warned that the county was  “under invasion from within” and criticized political opponents, blending his role as commander in chief with political messaging in a setting traditionally reserved for nonpartisan military discourse.  The event drew attention because it broke with the longstanding norm of keeping senior military forums free from campaign-style rhetoric, raising questions about civil-military boundaries. June 10, 2025 — Fort Bragg, North Carolina During a visit to Fort Bragg, earlier last year, marking the Army’s 250th anniversary, Trump announced he was restoring the names of seven military bases that had been changed after a Pentagon review of installations honoring Confederate officers.  “We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change,” Trump said. “I’m superstitious. I like to keep it going.” The announcement reversed changes made under the Biden administration following recommendations from a congressional naming commission. Trump said he chose to reveal the decision at Fort Bragg rather than wait for a military parade in Washington days later. “I can’t wait. I got to talk to my friends here today,” he said. At the same Army anniversary celebration, Trump used his remarks to defend deploying National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles amid protests over immigration enforcement. Calling protesters “animals” and “a foreign enemy,” Trump said. “We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy.” He also warned that demonstrators opposing an upcoming military parade “will be met with very heavy force.” The event, which included military demonstrations and equipment displays, blended ceremonial observances with political messaging about immigration, public safety, and Democratic leaders. His visit also drew attention after campaign-style merchandise was sold on base, including “Make America Great Again” hats and Trump-themed T-shirts. May 24, 2025 — West Point, New York Trump delivered a commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy that at times resembled a campaign rally, appearing before graduates in a red “Make America Great Again” hat and tying the institution to his broader political agenda. “In a few months, you’ll become graduates of the most elite and storied military academy in human history,” Trump told the cadets.”And I know, because I rebuilt that army.” The President used the speech to tout his first-term record, criticize diversity initiatives, and repeat familiar campaign lines, including his claim that he faced more investigations than Al Capone.  “We’ve liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings,” he said. He also veered into cultural issues, refereing transgeder policies and gender in sports while addressing the graduating class.