Editor’s note: This post was updated on February 13 to add details of an anti-Trump protest in downtown Fayetteville.
President Donald Trump mixed politics with praise for the military, promises to soldiers, and criticism of former President Joe Biden during a sweeping, campaign‑style address at Fort Bragg on Friday with first lady Melania Trump.
Melania Trump opened the event with a short introduction. The crowd, waiting since late morning, erupted when the president walked out around 1:30 p.m. Troops raised phones to record as he stepped onto a small stage inside the Passenger Shed. The vast, hangar‑like building included a large American flag hung behind Trump.
Reporters on site were instructed not to speak with soldiers or their families before the event, and movement around the airfield was tightly controlled. The energy in the room varied, with those packed near the front laughing at Trump’s jokes and some cheering throughout the speech. Others, standing toward the back, remained quiet and expressionless.
‘We Have the Best Warriors in the World’
Speaking for about 30 minutes before several hundred soldiers at Fort Bragg’s Pope Army Airfield, Trump lauded the Army special operations personnel, reported to be members of the elite and secretive Delta Force, who entered Venezuela on January 3 and seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
He called it “an amazing night” and proof of “what the full military might of the U.S. military is capable of.”
“We have the best warriors in the world,” Trump said.
He described the raid in vivid detail, recounting helicopter landings under fire, snipers clearing machine‑gun nests, and what he said was the rapid collapse of Maduro’s defenses.
He said the pilots “landed in perfectly, and they got out of there perfectly,” describing the team as “brave guys and very talented, skilled people.” He argued the mission showed that “Americans [are] winning again,” that the United States is “respected again,” and that the country is “feared by enemies all over the globe.”
Trump-Backed Senate Candidate Joins Event
The visit marks Trump’s return to Fort Bragg—one of the world’s largest military installations by population—for the first time since June 2025. Then, he spoke at the ceremony commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
Much of Trump’s address focused on broader political themes. Standing before rows of uniformed soldiers, Trump criticized Democrats for “weakening the military,” attacked Biden as “the worst president in the history of our country,” and argued that years of “political correctness” had undermined readiness.
Michael Whatley also spoke briefly. Trump has endorsed Whatley, who is one of six Republicans seeking the GOP nomination in the March 3 primary for a U.S. Senate in North Carolina.
“I am thrilled that he has asked me to run for Senate in North Carolina,” Whatley said. “And is giving me an opportunity to represent you, and to fight for you and every other base that we have in this great state, to protect our interests, to make sure that America and our allies are going to be protected.”
Trump asserted that the economy was “a mess” when he returned to office in January 2025, and took credit for the stock markets reaching record highs in recent days.
“Your 401(k)s are doing very well,” Trump told the soldiers.
The military does not offer 401(k) investments to its personnel, but instead offers a similar investment vehicle called a Thrift Savings Plan.
At one point, Trump suggested that he and Melania could eventually make Fort Bragg home, praising the region as “a great area” with “incredible” people.
In downtown Fayetteville, about 30 people—including City Council member Shaun McMillan—gathered in Freedom Memorial Park to protest Trump. The event was organized in part by the Fayetteville chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Recruiting, Rebuilding, Renaming
Other highlights of Trump’ s speech:
- Claims of record‑setting military recruitment, saying enlistments surged after he was elected and that the Army was “beating its recruiting goal by 116%.” (According to the Pentagon, the Army met 101.72% of its goal in fiscal year 2025.)
- A promise to rebuild and expand the military, including new battleships, helicopters, armored vehicles, and what he described as a $1 trillion investment in the armed forces.
- A vow to keep the name Fort Bragg, telling the crowd he “got your name back from the radical left” and warning that Democrats would “take it off again” if they regained power. The installation’s name changed to Fort Liberty in 2023 thanks to a defense bill passed by Congress, but changed back to Fort Bragg in 2025.
- A claim that his administration had “stopped the invasion of the southern border.”
Government reporter Rachel Heimann Mercader can be reached at rheimann@cityviewnc.com or 910-988-8045.
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