Page 8 – Texas Weekly Online

Kristi Noem says 2 leakers accused of disclosing ICE operations ID’d: ‘Put law enforcement lives in jeopardy’

Two people within the Department of Homeland Security have been accused of disclosing DHS operations amid the Trump administration’s mass-deportation plans, Secretary Kristi Noem said. In a video exclusively provided to Fox News, Noem is seen giving an update on the matter. “We have identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who have been telling individuals about our operations and putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy,” she said. “We plan to prosecute these two individuals and hold them accountable for what they’ve done.” “We’re going to continue to do all that we can to keep America safe,” she added. ICE MAKES MAJOR MOVE ON DETAINING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN HEART OF BLUE STATE The names of the two alleged leakers were not disclosed. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that they are expected to face charges. “We are preparing to refer these perpetrators to the DOJ for felony prosecutions,” she said. “These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison. We will find and root out all leakers. They will face prison time, and we will get justice for the American people.” Earlier this week, Noem said her agency wasn’t deterred by leaks after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid was leaked ahead of time. The leaks drew anger from ICE, with one official telling Fox they feared the result of an ICE agent being killed. NEW HOUSE REPORT EXPOSES HOW CONTROVERSIAL ‘AMNESTY’ PROGRAM EXPLODED UNDER BIDEN Previous leaks to the news media have involved raids in Los Angeles and Aurora, Colorado. Last month, Border czar Tom Homan said the administration was closing in on the individual responsible for the leak of the Aurora raid. Noem had pointed the finger at the FBI. “The FBI is so corrupt,” Noem wrote on X. “We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law.” In February, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared on “Fox Report,” where she discussed immigration enforcement and was asked about leaks originating within the government. “Well, you know, if anyone leaks anything, people don’t understand that it jeopardizes the lives of our great men and women in law enforcement, and if you leaked it, we will find out who you are, and we will come after you,” Bondi said. “It’s not going to stop our mission. It’s not going to stop the president’s mission to make America safe again.”

GOP’s two top Dem Senate targets justify blocking bill to bar men from women’s sports

The two most vulnerable Democratic senators voted against advancing a bill this week to prevent biological males from participating in women’s and girls’ sports, despite popular public support for such a policy. Now, they’re justifying why they did it. “I listened to what I heard in New Hampshire, and what we heard from people who were keeping track of how many — Charlie Baker, for example, who heads the NCAA, who said that it only applies to one person,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told Fox News Digital. “I don’t think we need legislation to do that. I think we can police it through the organizations,” she said. SENATE BID TO PREVENT BOYS FROM PLAYING GIRLS’ SPORTS GETS STUCK ON FILIBUSTER “This bill was overreach,” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement. “School districts and athletic associations can ensure fair, safe competition without subjecting the bodies of adolescent student athletes — children — to intrusive investigation by the federal government,” he said. Fox News Digital reached out to Ossoff’s office but did not hear back in time for publication. In a recent New York Times/Ipsos survey, the vast majority of Americans said men and boys who identify as transgender women and girls “should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.” However, in a Senate procedural vote on Monday, every single voting Democrat blocked the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act from moving on to a final vote on passage. All voting Republicans voted in favor of limiting debate on the measure and thereby overcoming the legislative filibuster, which is what the 60-vote threshold on Senate cloture motions is often called. TRUMP FDA NOMINEE TURNS VACCINE QUESTION ON DEM, RECALLING CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN DECISION Because the vote was only 51 to 45, the bill won’t move forward to a final vote at this time. Among Democrats in the NYT/Ipsos poll, 67% agreed with Republicans that biological males shouldn’t be allowed to participate in female sports. The bill, introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., would require Title IX to treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” and would not allow for it to be applied to a differing gender identity. “This past week showed us how evil the Democrat party truly is. Every single senator voted to strip away the rights of women and girls everywhere,” Tuberville said in a statement. “Both Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen pretend to care about women, but they clearly don’t give a rip about their privacy, safety, or right to fair competition. They think protecting female athletes is an ‘overreach,’ but are perfectly okay with forcing women to share locker rooms and shower with fully intact males. One thing is clear: Jon Ossoff and Jeanne Shaheen are completely out of touch with their voters.” After their votes, the National Republican Senatorial Committee took a shot at its top Senate targets. “Jon Ossoff could have joined the overwhelming majority of Georgians in the fight for common sense and keeping men out of women’s sports,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “Instead, he told parents and their daughters that Democrats believe they must play sports and share locker rooms and bathrooms with biological males.” TRUMP’S BIPARTISAN-BACKED LABOR PICK CLEARS LAST HURDLE BEFORE CABINET CONFIRMATION Both Shaheen and Ossoff are up for re-election in 2026 in New Hampshire and Georgia. While Ossoff has been gearing up for a tough Senate battle for months, Shaheen has yet to announce whether she will be running. She is expected to announce her decision at some point this month, sources in New Hampshire confirmed to Fox News Digital. Shaheen is the only remaining Senate Democrat in a competitive seat who has not yet publicly revealed her re-election plans. Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Ga., is the GOP favorite to take on Ossoff for the southern state’s Senate seat, but he has not said whether he will launch a bid. He said he has “really got a lot on my plate right now,” in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. INSIDE ELON MUSK’S HUDDLE WITH GOP SENATORS: DOGE HEAD TOUTS $4M SAVINGS PER DAY “I’m in the middle of my legislative session. We’ve got a big tort reform fight going on. I’m chairing the Republican Governors Association. I made a commitment on that.” “I know I can’t keep holding out forever, so we’ll have something to say on that down the road,” he added. Nonpartisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report has rated the Georgia Senate race as a “Toss Up,” while the New Hampshire seat is considered “Lean Democratic.”

Hospitals warned they must protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation: HHS agency memo

A major agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a memo to hospitals and medical providers in the U.S. this week reminding them of “the dangerous chemical and surgical mutilation of children, including interventions that cause sterilization,” and vowed the agency would continue aligning its policies with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which provides health coverage to more than 100 million people through Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, sent a memo Wednesday that was obtained by Fox News Digital reiterating “the program requirements of hospitals to serve all patients, especially children, with dignity and adherence to the highest standard of care that is informed by robust evidence and the utmost scientific integrity.” The memo is effective immediately. “Other developed nations have taken decisive actions to prohibit or significantly limit these mutilation practices to ensure that children are protected from harmful, unscientific medical interventions,” the memo adds. TRANS SURGERIES INCREASE RISK OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, SUICIDAL IDEATIONS: STUDY The notice also said ” CMS may begin taking steps in the future to align policy, including CMS-regulated provider requirements and agreements, with the highest-quality medical evidence in the treatment of the nation’s children in order to protect children from harmful, often irreversible mutilation, including sterilization practices. “In recent years, medical interventions for gender dysphoria in children have proliferated,” the memo adds. “Initiated with an underdeveloped body of evidence and now known to cause long-term and irreparable harm to some children, CMS may begin taking steps in the future to adjust its policies to reflect this reality and the lack of medical evidence in support of these harmful treatments.” GENDER DYSPHORIA AND EATING DISORDERS HAVE SKYROCKETED SINCE PANDEMIC, REPORT REVEALS: ‘RIPPLE EFFECTS’ Dr. Kurt Miceli, the medical director at the conservative medical activist group Do No Harm, told Fox News Digital the memo “did a nice job” of highlighting medical data from other countries regarding “gender-affirming” care for kids. “And we really salute them for really looking at the data and being very clear that we need to protect children, really, from these irreversible harms that, unfortunately, we see from sex-change surgeries or hormonal therapies that are used,” Miceli said. The notice comes as the Trump administration has been moving to weed out “radical gender ideology” across U.S. institutions and outlawed gender-transition treatments and surgeries for minors. Many hospitals across the country are still conducting these procedures and ignoring Trump’s orders. NEWSOM CALLS BIOLOGICAL MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS ‘DEEPLY UNFAIR’ IN PODCAST WITH CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST Lawsuits are already underway challenging Trump’s other gender-related executive orders, too, which include booting transgender troops out of the military and banning biological men from women’s sports. HHS is also undergoing sweeping staffing changes due to Elon Musk’s DOGE layoffs. The CMS memo said its alert “is informed by a growing body of evidence and protective policies across the world” and cited studies outlining the effects of gender-transition treatments for kids in England and Finland, as well as several from U.S. medical journals and the Mayo Clinic. Between 2016 and 2020, nearly 3,700 children between the ages of 12 and 18 underwent surgery, with more than 3,200 having breast or chest surgery and more than 400 undergoing genital surgery, resulting in permanent changes to their reproductive organs, the memo states. More than 120,000 children between 6 and 17, from 2016 to 2020, were diagnosed with gender dysphoria, with more than 17,000 starting treatments like puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. “In several notable instances, research used to promote these harmful procedures on children contained obvious and significant methodological flaws or demonstrated outright scientific misconduct,” the memo stated.

‘I’m excited’: Hollywood star rallies around new national landmark with support from both parties

FIRST ON FOX: It’s not easy in today’s political climate to get Democrats and Republicans into a friendly, collaborative space together. But that’s exactly what happened this week when Lynda Carter, star of the 1970s ABC hit “Wonder Woman,” joined a bipartisan reception on Capitol Hill aimed at getting the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum built. “It’s often said that certain kinds of men built America. And that is not exactly the truth, because we were there,” Carter told Fox News Digital in an interview during the event. “Most people don’t know about our stories, about the women of America that helped to build our great nation. Those are the stories that I’m excited to have you hear about.” Despite a bustling day of events Monday, a day before President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress, more than two dozen lawmakers found time to stop by a modest room on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol, where Carter was engaging with others in a bid to get the museum built. GOP REBELS HEAD TO WHITE HOUSE FOR MEETING TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Funding for the women’s museum was appropriated in 2020 and signed into law during Trump’s first term. Now, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., is leading a bill to actually give the museum a spot along the National Mall so it can finally be built. “We’re very fortunate to be here with a bipartisan effort. And we have 80 co-sponsors of our legislation, both Democrats and Republicans,” Malliotakis told Fox News Digital. “It’s very important, so we can share the stories of the women who have come before us,” she added before listing famous females like Rosie the Riveter, a group of Black nurses who worked with tuberculosis patients in the 1900s, known as the Black Angels, and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. And their effort is getting recognized by the very top levels of Congress. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., briefly stopped by the event and spoke with attendees, at one point appearing cheerful during a conversation with Carter. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was also at the event, as were both male and female members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. “This is the second and final step of the process,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who is co-leading the effort, told Fox News Digital. “Obviously, it’s an important one, because this is the site selection. The hard part was getting it authorized, that’s already done.” Former Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., who has championed women’s rights for decades, said she had spoken with Johnson during the event and “it seemed like he was gonna look for the votes.” “I know how effective he is,” Maloney praised. “We’re gonna get it done this time.” Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., another Democrat leading the effort in Congress right now, affirmed: “We are going to get it done.” VANCE TAKES VICTORY IN BORDER VISIT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT NUMBERS PLUMMET Dingell did not hesitate when asked whether she was confident about whether the project could be completed despite the current political environment. “It has to,” she said. It was an evening of bipartisanship for Carter as well, a noted Democrat who campaigned for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign. She credited both Republicans and Democrats, however, for coming together on the issue of the museum. The event culminated with the co-chairs of the bipartisan Women’s caucus – Malliotakis, along with Reps. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, and Janelle Bynum, D-Ore. – presenting Carter with a frame memorializing her contributions to women in the Congressional Record.

‘I’m excited’: Liberal Hollywood star rallies around new national landmark with support from both parties

Christi Craddick, Don Huffines announce bids for Texas comptroller after Hegar tapped for A&M chancellor

Hegar’s impending departure from the comptroller’s seat creates a rare opening for one of Texas’ coveted statewide offices.

Trump Organization, Eric Trump sue Capital One for ‘unjustifiable’ 2021 debanking based on ‘woke’ beliefs

The Trump Organization is suing Capital One after the bank “unjustifiably” terminated more than 300 of the company’s bank accounts and accounts belonging to numerous Trump family members in 2021. Eric Trump told Fox News Digital he will hold major corporations accountable for the “egregious nature of canceling based on political bias.” The Trump Organization filed the lawsuit against Capital One in the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit for Miami-Dade County, Florida, Friday. The plaintiffs in the case are Eric Trump, the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, DJT Holdings, DJT Holdings Managing Member and DTTM Operations. HERE’S WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT DEBANKING, THE UN-AMERICAN ABUSE OF POWER BY REGULATORS On March 8, 2021, Capital One notified Trump and the plaintiffs that hundreds of bank accounts that they controlled, were beneficiaries of and actively used would be closed June 7, 2021. According to the lawsuit, Capital One did not provide Trump and the plaintiffs any “recourse, remedy, or alternative — its decision was final.” The accounts affiliated with the Trump Organization held millions of dollars belonging to them and their affiliated entities. Trump told Fox News Digital Friday that 300 business accounts were terminated, as well as various accounts belonging to numerous Trump family members. The Trump Organization, according to the lawsuit, has “deposited, transacted, and leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars with Capital One to grow and scale these businesses.” The lawsuit states that “Capital One has profited from Plaintiffs’ substantial deposits, impeccable creditworthiness, and the prestige associated with having a business relationship with President Trump.” According to the lawsuit, Capital One did not provide Trump and the plaintiffs any advance notice and “unilaterally terminated” the accounts. “Plaintiffs suffered considerable financial harm and losses caused not only by the interruption to their access to Capitol One’s banking services, but also by the devastating impact on Plaintiff’s ability to transact and access their monies,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs have reason to believe that Capital One’s unilateral decision came about as a result of political and social motivations and Capital One’s unsubstantiated, ‘woke’ beliefs that it needed to distance itself from President Trump and his conservative political views. HOUSE OVERSIGHT CHAIRMAN SAYS THERE’S EVIDENCE OF CONSERVATIVE DEBANKING, HINTS AT INVESTIGATION “In essence, Capital One ‘de-banked’ plaintiff’s accounts because Capital One believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the lawsuit continued. “In addition to the considerable financial harm that Plaintiffs and their affiliated entities suffered, Capital One’s reckless decision is part of a growing trend by financial institutions in the United States of America to cut off a consumer’s access to banking services if their political views contradict with those of the financial institution.” The lawsuit added that “Capital One’s conduct is but one example of a systemic, subversive industry practice that aims to coerce the public to shift and re-align” political views. “Plaintiffs file this action to redress the harm they and their affiliated entities have suffered and shed light on a matter of great public interest and importance,” it states. SENATE BANKING PANEL HEARS DEBANKING TESTIMONY: ‘EXTREMELY DISRUPTIVE’ Eric Trump spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital Friday after filing the lawsuit to describe the “damage caused by the bank,” and the “weaponization seen in corporate America and by big banks that are otherwise monopolistic.” “Capital One is supposed to represent Americans fairly,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “Canceling golf courses, canceling residential buildings, retail outfits that impact the livelihoods of tens of thousands of employees is egregious and damaging and wrong in the United States of America — especially after having a flawless relationship for more than a decade.” Trump told Fox News Digital the American people are “tired of the weaponization in corporate America.” “I can’t tell you how hard it is to change more than 300 bank accounts — and for no reason whatsoever,” Trump said. “These were hotels and golf courses, residential buildings and commercial buildings, retail outlets and skating rinks and parking garages. There was no political affiliation. These were not political entities. “The only common denominator was that they wore the Trump name. TRUMP CONFRONTS BANK OF AMERICA CEO FOR NOT TAKING ‘CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS’ “America is sick and tired of political lawfare,” Trump added. “As a person and as a company, I won’t stand for major corporations that seek to inflict incredible harm and damage on people who might have opposing views. “I will hold them and others accountable. This is just the beginning.” Sources have indicated that Chase, Bank of America and TD Bank also debanked Trump at the time and could face similar legal action in the days and weeks to come. Capital One did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

California Dem says flight attendant told him party looked ‘heartless’ for not standing for boy with cancer

A California Democrat said he was “politely chased down” by a flight attendant at an airport this week who told him his colleagues looked “heartless” for not standing for Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, the 13-year-old boy with cancer who was honored during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. Rep. Ro Khanna said the interaction with the flight attendant, whom he identified as Jim Barrett, unfolded in Chicago. “Sir, I am a Democrat but the way the party behaved was embarrassing. Made us look heartless. I don’t care who is up there, you stand for the boy with cancer,” Khanna recalled Barrett as saying. “Be more rational and get your act together.” “I replied that a few of us did stand and clap and we must be the party that still believes in kindness, decency, and trying to bring people together,” he added on X. BOY HONORED BY TRUMP SAYS CANCER WON’T SLOW HIM DOWN UNTIL ‘GOD CALLS’ HIM HOME Daniel stole the show during Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night when the president introduced him to the audience and officially swore him in as a member of the Secret Service. “Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police,” Trump told the crowd. “His name is DJ Daniel [and he] is 13 years old, and he has always dreamed of becoming a police officer. But in 2018, D.J. was diagnosed with brain cancer. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago.” SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AFTER DEMOCRATS DO NOT STAND FOR 13-YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR Daniel received a standing ovation from a majority of the crowd, although some Democrats were seen on camera sitting at various times while Trump was speaking about the 13-year-old. “Quite frankly, there were moments where I feel like anger at some of the actions that have happened over the past month-and-a-half prevented some of my colleagues from being able to stand up to support the little DJ Daniel,” Rep. Laura Gillen, a Democrat from New York, also told News12 Long Island this week. “I stood up and applauded this little boy, who is getting over cancer, wants to be a police officer — and I was disappointed that I was not joined by any of my colleagues,” she added. Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

John Fetterman takes aim at his own party in tweet about ‘#TheResistance’: ‘Hold our beer’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. — who, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s address before a joint session of Congress, accused his own party of “a sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance” — issued a tweet on Friday in which he once again called out Democrats. “#TheResistance,” he wrote, going on to list, “Snub a 13 year-old cancer survivor,” “Joint Address Protest Paddle Bonanza” and “Bizarre ‘Pick Your Fighter’ videos.” “Hold our beer: Government Shutdown!” he continued, cautioning, “Never, never, never vote for a shutdown—ever.” FETTERMAN DISMAYED BY DEMS DISSING ‘TOUCHING MOMENT’ AT TRUMP SPEECH Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office to request a comment from the lawmaker on Friday, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Trump honored 13-year-old DJ Daniel during the address this week, noting that Daniel, who wants to become a police officer, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. “I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service,” Trump told the young man. It was a “touching moment,” Fetterman told Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital earlier this week. ‘COULDN’T CLAP FOR A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY’: GOP SLAM ‘CHILDISH’ DEM SILENCE ON SUPPORTING CANCER SURVIVOR During the president’s speech, some lawmakers held up signs with messages including “FALSE,” “SAVE MEDICAID,” “PROTECT VETERANS” and “MUSK STEALS.” A viral video posted this week by social media influencer Sulhee Jessica Woo features Woo and several Democratic congresswomen posing in fighting stances, like video game characters — text on screen at the beginning of the video reads, “CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER.” The video has been widely mocked, including by the White House. “Democrats Not Be Cringe Challenge. Level: Impossible,” the White House’s “Rapid Response 47” X account quipped. SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AFTER ‘CRINGE’ TIKTOK VIDEO OF AOC, HOUSE DEMS GOES VIRAL: ‘COULDN’T GET ANY LAMER’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fetterman’s post featured a screenshot of a Politico headline that read, “Senate Democrats’ impending choice: Shutdown or surrender.” President Donald Trump has been advocating for using a continuing resolution to avert an approaching government shutdown. “I am working with the GREAT House Republicans on a Continuing Resolution to fund the Government until September to give us some needed time to work on our Agenda,” he noted in a Truth Social post. Getting enough votes to move a continuing resolution through the Senate will require some Democratic support. “I’m never going to be a part of any vote that shuts the government down,” Fetterman said, according to Politico. “The fact that anyone on our side would even rattle those sabers, that’s bulls—,” he reportedly declared. “To think I’m going to burn the village down to save it, that’s bonkers.”

Fort Bragg is back: Army renames NC base to honor WWII hero

With cannon fire and a rendition of “The Caisson Song,” Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was officially rededicated to its original name, now honoring a World War II hero instead of an Army officer from the Mexican-American War who later became a Confederate general. Under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Army held a ceremony at the 260,000-person-strong base outside Fayetteville on Friday to reverse Democrats’ change to “Fort Liberty” – and to honor a Mainer whose bravery in Bastogne saved the lives of his fellow U.S. service members. The descendants of PFC Roland L. Bragg – who died in 1999 – were on hand as Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson offered remarks on the late veteran’s service and ushered in the renaming. It had previously been named after CSA Gen. Braxton Bragg. “Today we gather on an installation that is the largest in our Army per capita, covering 164,000 acres, supporting over 48,000 soldiers, 80,000 family members, 2000 Department of Defense civilians, and nearly 100,000 retirees and their families,” said Anderson, commanding officer of the 18th Airborne Corps at the base. LAWMAKERS RIP ARMY BRASS OVER TRAINING SLIDES SUGGESTING PRO-LIFE GROUPS COULD HAVE TERRORISM RISKS “Fort Bragg is just not any base. It is our nation’s premier force projection platform. It is a culture of toughness and warfighting, and it is a way of life. We refer to Fort Bragg as the center of the universe, the beating heart of our Army’s ability to deploy, without warning, anywhere across the globe, to help and assist others to respond to crises, to deter conflict and, if necessary, to fight and win our nation’s wars,” he continued. Roland Bragg’s granddaughter also offered remarks, speaking about how her grandfather never publicized his military service and was a quiet, loving patriarch of his family. She told one story about his enjoyment of grilling pancakes for his grandchildren in whatever shape the children wanted, no matter how complex. Bragg had been taken prisoner by the Germans in 1943, and – as Anderson retold – somehow convinced a Nazi officer to let him and fellow prisoners go, as both men were Freemasons. Under the condition that a Nazi sergeant be knocked out – so as to provide a sign of a struggle – Bragg happily obliged, and he and his men were set free. Bragg then commandeered a Nazi ambulance and drove it through fierce fire toward and through American lines, later thinking all the other wounded paratroopers had been killed in the crossfire. It was not until he received a letter from a California veteran decades later that he found out some had survived the day. For about four years, Fort Bragg had been “Fort Liberty” – one of several bases, mostly in the South, that Democrats renamed to remove Confederate vestiges. In a successful veto override of then-President Donald Trump, the 2021 National Defense Authorization Bill, sponsored by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., included a provision creating a commission that ultimately stripped Braxton Bragg’s name from the North Carolina base. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who represents the base and that piece of the US-421 corridor, previously expressed support for Braxton Bragg’s name being removed – though underlined the decision and result should have been made by the Cumberland County community. NY REPUBLICAN COMPARES SANCTUARY STATES TO THE CONFEDERACY “I recognize the name Fort Bragg has meaning that transcends Braxton Bragg,” he wrote in a 2021 Fayetteville Observer column. “This is a very tough issue for many in our community and I appreciate that there is a lot of passion on both sides. On Friday, Hudson told Fox News Digital exclusively that the change to honor Roland Bragg “honors these brave soldiers” who have passed through its gates “as well as their families.” “When leaders around the world hear the name Fort Bragg, they know it represents the men and women of our Airborne and Special Forces stationed there. These are some of the most dynamic, capable, and elite troops in our military. When President Trump needs a rapid military response, he calls Fort Bragg,” Hudson said. Fort Moore, Georgia, near the Chattahoochee River’s Alabama border, is the next base primed to be redesignated in a similarly creative way to Fort Bragg. Long known as Fort Benning – after Gen. Henry Benning of Appling, Georgia – Hegseth’s Pentagon is primed to rename it Fort Benning albeit after a World War I recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross of the same surname. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Other 2021 changes included Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia – named for a close friend of Gen. Stonewall Jackson, who hailed from nearby Culpeper and had been killed by a Pennsylvania officer during the Third Battle of Petersburg as the Confederacy began to collapse. Fort Lee in Petersburg, Virginia, is now Fort Gregg-Adams. Fort Hood, Texas, is now Fort Cavazos. Fort Rucker, Alabama, is now Fort Novosel. Fort Pickett in Nottoway, Virginia, is now Fort Barfolk. It remains to be seen if the Pentagon will seek to rename the remaining redesignated installations. As for Hegseth’s stated view on base name changes, he hinted to The Associated Press that more changes are coming at the behest of Trump and the administration. “I never called it Fort Liberty because it wasn’t Fort Liberty. It’s Fort Bragg,” he said.

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