Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis has vowed to restore the original name of an Army base in North Carolina if he wins the White House. The name of the base was changed over its Confederate roots. DeSantis made the announcement during a campaign event in the state.
“I also look forward to, as president, restoring the name of Fort Bragg to our great military base in Fayetteville, North Carolina,” DeSantis declared.
The renaming of Fort Bragg, which was named after Confederate General Braxton Bragg, took effect on June 2.
The base is now officially known as Fort Liberty.
“It’s an iconic name and iconic base, and we’re not going to let political correctness run amok in North Carolina,” DeSantis said.
The move was part of a broader effort by the U.S. military to erase Confederate names in the aftermath of racial unrest in 2020.
DeSantis’ pledge to reverse the renaming has gained attention from left and center-oriented news outlets. The story is a Media Miss for right-leaning outlets according to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss tool.
Fort Bragg is one of at least eight other Army installations across the United States that have undergone or are slated for renaming by 2024.
Last year, the congressionally established Naming Commission, which received bipartisan support, estimated that the overall cost of renaming bases would amount to $21 million.
Other estimates suggest the changes may cost even more.
In 2020, Congress mandated that the Department of Defense remove all “names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America” by Jan. 1, 2024.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence, also a presidential candidate, is echoing DeSantis’ position.
During a speech in North Carolina, Pence expressed his support for restoring the name of Fort Bragg, suggesting that the change was driven by political correctness.
