U.S. President Donald Trump classified the anti-illegal immigration protests occurring in Los Angeles (LA) on the 10th (local time) as an 'external invasion' and warned of a strong response.
During a speech at Fort Bragg Army Base in North Carolina that day, Trump said, "We will not allow outsiders to invade and conquer American cities."
He continued, "Every American witnessed a full-scale attack on peace, public order, and national sovereignty in California," and condemned it as "the actions of mobs carrying foreign flags in an ongoing invasion of America."
Trump accused California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, saying, "Incompetent people have hired troublemakers, instigators, and insurgents." He added, "They are participating in a deliberate attempt to undermine federal law, helping criminal intruders take over the city."
He also claimed, "Decades ago, LA was one of the cleanest, safest, and most beautiful cities on Earth, but now it has become a garbage dump controlled by international criminal organizations and crime networks."
Finally, Trump declared, "We will liberate LA and make it a free, clean, and safe city."
According to the White House, before the speech, Trump watched a demonstration of U.S. military power, including about 40 minutes of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launches, special operations command operations, and the parachute drop of 600 paratroopers.
Fort Bragg, the largest military base in the U.S., is the headquarters of the Army Special Operations Command. Highly trained units, including Green Berets and the 82nd Airborne Division, are currently stationed there.
Bragg is named after a Confederate general who defended slavery during the American Civil War. The Biden administration renamed the base from Fort Bragg to 'Fort Liberty' in 2023. However, Trump reverted to the original name shortly after he took office.