President Trump visited Fort Bragg in North Carolina, drumming up anticipation for the upcoming military parade while also emphasizing his own significance. Despite the opportunity for a new theme, he reverted to his familiar rhetoric of “American carnage,” echoing his divisive inauguration speech from 2017. With Los Angeles in focus due to his deployment of national guard troops to address protests against immigration policies, Trump leaned into his preferred stance as the president of perpetual emergency.

During his address to servicemen, Trump hinted at further military interventions in domestic unrest, pointing to the deployments in LA as just the beginning. He criticized Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota for not deploying the national guard promptly during the George Floyd protests, showcasing his willingness to intervene decisively. Despite factual inaccuracies regarding the deployment timeline, Trump signaled his intent to use the military against internal threats.

By praising the troops on duty in LA as defenders of the republic and likening their actions to repelling an invasion, Trump painted a picture of heroic resistance against perceived enemies within the country. Employing inflammatory language against California’s governor and Los Angeles’s mayor, he portrayed them as aiding criminal invaders and undermining federal law. Trump’s speech revealed a dark vision of internal strife, culminating in a surreal moment as he exited the stage to the tune of the Village People’s YMCA, showcasing a mix of authoritarian rhetoric and whimsical theatrics.

In summary, Trump’s speech at Fort Bragg highlighted his inclination towards militaristic responses to civil unrest and painted a stark picture of internal threats that necessitated extraordinary measures in his view.