Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth has repeatedly called for the U.S. to restore the names of military bases which honored Confederate generals, CNN reported. Between 2022 and 2023, nine bases named after Confederate leaders were renamed under the National Defense Authorization Act passed in 2021. Hegseth, a former Fox News host and combat veteran who served at North Carolina’s Fort Liberty back when it was still called Fort Bragg, said as recently as June: “We should change it back, because legacy matters. My uncle served at Bragg. I served at Bragg. It breaks the generational link.” Hegseth did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment. If confirmed by the Senate as secretary of defense, Hegseth can advocate for Congress to rename the bases after military leaders who fought to uphold slavery, but he can’t change the names unilaterally. Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Pentagon has also previously criticized allowing openly gay troops from serving in the military and opposed female soldiers being in combat roles—both positions he softened in the lead-up to his Senate confirmation hearings scheduled to begin Tuesday.
