#Trump threatens to veto defense spending bill to keep Confederate base names

President Trump threatened to veto what is considered a must-pass $740 billion defense spending bill unless it drops a requirement introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren to rename US military bases that honor Confederate leaders.

“I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!” the president said in a tweet late Tuesday.

The Republican-led Armed Services Committee last month approved a motion requiring the Pentagon to rename military bases and assets named after Confederate leaders — defying the president, who warned them not to support the measure.

The committee approved the amendment to the annual defense bill that will establish a commission to rename all Pentagon assets that bear the name of Confederate generals within the next three years.

Cities have begun removing statues honoring Confederate leaders as the nation engages in an emotional conversation about race and civil rights in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white Minneapolis cop.

In a previous tweet, Trump expressed his disapproval of the measure.

“Seriously failed presidential candidate, Senator Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren, just introduced an Amendment on the renaming of many of our legendary Military Bases from which we trained to WIN two World Wars. Hopefully our great Republican Senators won’t fall for this!” he wrote June 11.