On Friday, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visited Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to honor members of the special forces units involved in last month’s capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
Fort Bragg is home to the Army’s Special Operations Command and Delta Force, the special forces unit that reportedly executed the raid.
In her remarks, the first lady highlighted the connection between love for country and family describing it as the foundation for American strength.
The president focused his comments largely on his “Peace Through Strength” national defense strategy, highlighting military accomplishments so far during his administration.
‘Peace Through Strength’
Trump specifically called attention to “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a series of “devastating strikes” carried out last year against Iranian nuclear facilities. He noted that the operation, along with the Maduro capture, was evidence of U.S. tactical strength, saying that foreign equipment proved ineffective against American forces.
He acknowledged that three helicopter pilots were wounded “pretty badly in the legs” by machine-gunners on the ground in Venezuela, but that U.S. snipers took out the gunners and helped the pilots return to aircraft carriers close by.
He shared he planned to meet with the “very brave” pilots shortly.
“With your help, America is winning again,” Trump said. “America is respected again. And perhaps most importantly we are feared by the enemies all over the globe.”
Despite a continued military buildup in the Middle East, Trump said he remains open to “making a deal” with Iran.
Trump spent a significant amount of time addressing the upgrades and improvements to the U.S. military, noting that a portion of equipment has been sold to help Ukraine. He shared that he was still working on helping to end the Russia-Ukraine war, but highlighted he had already helped end eight wars during his second term.
He announced several additions to the military’s arsenal including new battleships, Abrams tanks, Black Hawk helicopters and armored multipurpose vehicles.
The president also praised recent recruitment figures, noting the Army surpassed its goal by 116% in just over five months.
“We are reviving our strength, doing many other things no one thought was possible, we are defending the core of the United States,” Trump said.
He emphasized an “America First” approach to foreign policy, arguing that a strong U.S. is better positioned to bring peace to other nations.
He ended with a message addressing military members that he, as their commander in chief, supports them “totally.”