President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday that his administration is not considering renaming military bases named after 10 Confederate military leaders.
Earlier in the week, amid national unrest over police brutality against African Americans, and racial injustice, the Defense Department said it was open to discussions on renaming the bases. The announcement came as a number of local leaders have announced the removal of statues of Confederate military leaders from a number of public plazas.
But Trump closed that door on Wednesday.
The tweets read, “It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom.
“The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars. Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations. Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!”
The Confederate government symbols have become a point of contention among supporters of Black Lives Matter, and that the Confederate leaders led a government to preserve slavery in the South.
