Nascar defies Trump, bans Confederate flags at race events as POTUS refuses to rename army bases
Two institutions historically associated with white conservatives appeared to take two drastically different decisions about America's past on Wednesday, June 10.
President Donald Trump put a halt to any discussion on changing the names of certain military bases honoring Confederate soldiers, saying such a change wouldn't happen on his watch. NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), on the other hand, responded to an appeal from its only full-time black driver, by announcing it was banning Confederate flags at its race events, where the historic symbol is a rather common sight.
"The display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties," the racing league said in a statement Wednesday, June 10, after driver Bubba Wallace declared there was "no place for them" in the stands.
The contrasting announcements were made within a three-hour window and illustrated Trump's steadfast position despite being in the midst of nationwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality.
Several private companies, sports leagues, media properties, and academic institutions have conceded to demands of protesters in an attempt to reconcile the apparent role racism has played in their own histories, but Trump has repeatedly opposed such examinations in a bid to preserve the "country's heritage". "To this point, Trump's instincts as a culture warrior have been proven correct politically. Combine that with his unwillingness to apologize or back down, and it should come as no surprise that he's sticking to his guns on the monuments, base names, and kneeling during the National Anthem," one outside adviser to the president told CNN. "So, even though this feels like a national moment unlike anything we've experienced before, I still wouldn't bet against his political instincts."
Trump declared he would "not even consider" renaming the military bases despite some Pentagon officials indicating they were open to a discussion. He laid out his hardline stance in a series of tweets. "It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These 'Monumental' and very 'Powerful Bases' have become part of a 'Great American Heritage', and a history of 'Winning, Victory, and Freedom'," he wrote. "The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars," he continued tweeting. "Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations."
"Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!" Trump added.
It is true that the Army has been under increasing pressure to rename the bases, and quite a few advocates feel it isn't appropriate to honor those who fought to preserve slavery and took up arms against the United States.
In a recent op-ed in The Atlantic, retired Army Gen. David Petraeus argued that "Lee, Bragg and the rest committed treason" and that the Army "should not brook any celebration of those who betrayed their country."
"These bases are, after all, federal installations, home to soldiers who swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," Petraeus wrote. "The irony of training at bases named for those who took up arms against the United States, and for the right to enslave others, is inescapable to anyone paying attention. Now, belatedly, it is the moment for us to pay such attention."
When White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked about Petraeus's opinion piece, she argued that renaming would only insult the soldiers based on the installations.
"Fort Bragg is known for the heroes within it that trained there, that deployed from there," she said. "And it’s an insult to say to the men and women who left there, the last thing they saw on American soil before going overseas and in some cases losing their lives, to tell them that what they left was inherently a racist institution because of a name."
"That’s unacceptable to the president, and rightfully so," she added.