Uniformed soldiers in the stands cheered and booed along with political statements, something traditionally frowned upon and potentially a violation of military regulations.
Trump speech at Fort Bragg prompts new questions, concerns about politicization of military www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...
— Holy City Sinner (@holycitysinner.com) 2025-06-12T14:01:43.403Z
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-speech-prompts-concerns-politicization-military-rcna212437
WASHINGTON — Defense Department officials say troops who cheered and jeered Tuesday at President Donald Trump’s political statements at a rally at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, did not violate military regulations, but a former military legal officer said they did just that.
During the speech, uniformed soldiers yelled in support of Trump’s political statements and booed former President Joe Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“Do you think this crowd would have showed up for Biden? I don’t think so,” Trump said to boos about Biden.
Trump made other comments about Newsom and about Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, where protests against the administration’s crackdown on immigrants have been taking place and where Trump has ordered thousands of National Guard members and active-duty Marines deployed in response. Other Trump comments about the “fake news media,” transgender people, protesters in California and flag-burning also drew boos from the uniformed military members in attendance.
Trump is known for his rallies at which he goes after and pokes fun at political enemies and other issues, but typically he makes those remarks at political events, not on U.S. military bases.
Such overt political activity on a base is the prerogative of the commander in chief. But military leaders would typically frown upon troops’ reacting the way they did as inconsistent with military good order and discipline, and, according to one expert, it is a violation of military regulations found in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or UCMJ.
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