What was supposed to be a routine appearance at Fort Bragg before the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration meant to rally the troops turned into a typical Trump rally laced with partisan attacks, blurring the long-standing and sacrosanct line between the military and politics.
Military.com reached out to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office as well as the Army and the 82nd Airborne Division directly with questions about the apparent violation of Pentagon policies on political activity in uniform.
Internal 82nd Airborne Division communications reviewed by Military.com reveal a tightly orchestrated effort to curate the optics of Trump’s recent visit, including handpicking soldiers for the audience based on political leanings and physical appearance.
Those messages clearly were focused on appearance and loyalty.
“If soldiers have political views that are in opposition to the current administration and they don’t want to be in the audience then they need to speak with their leadership and get swapped out,” said one.
Another said bluntly “no fat soldiers.”
“This has been a bad week for the Army for anyone who cares about us being a neutral institution,” one commander at Fort Bragg told Military.com on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation. “This was shameful. I don’t expect anything to come out of it, but I hope maybe we can learn from it long term.”
A merchandise shop operated by 365 Campaign, a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based retailer that sells pro-Trump and conservative paraphernalia was selling their wares outside the event. Department of Defense regulations aim to prevent the sale of overtly political merchandise on military bases.
Soldiers were seen purchasing clothing and tchotchkes, including “Make America Great Again” chain necklaces and faux credit cards labeled “White Privilege Card: Trumps Everything.”
A spokesperson for Fort Bragg said that “the vendor’s presence is under review to determine how it was permitted and to prevent similar occurrences in the future.”
