We have the best warriors in the world, Trump tells Fort Bragg audience

President Donald Trump and Melania Trump, the first lady, visited North Carolina on Friday to honor members of the special forces who stormed into Venezuela last month and whisked away Nicolás Maduro, the leader of the South American country, to face drug smuggling charges in the United States.

"My message here to you today is that your commander in chief supports you totally," Trump said.

Trump has accused Maduro of leading a “a corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking.” 

The president began his remarks with praise for Michael Whatley, the candidate he has endorsed in the upcoming Senate race, and a warning that if Republicans don't maintain a Congressional majority in the 2026 midterms, Fort Bragg's name could be changed again.

In his address to special forces troops and families, Trump claimed that military recruiting is up under his administration and noted the name change from Department of Defense to Department of War.

"Now, we have a real force and you see that in Iran and what we did in Venezuela," he said.

He praised those in the audience, "We have the best warriors in the world," he said.

Trump said his administration had raised recruiting standards across the armed forces. "If you want to get into the military, you gotta have a little muscle," he said.

"It's based on merit now. As long as I'm president, we will be the best led, best trained, best equipped, most disciplined and most elite fighting force the world has ever seen." 

So effusive was Trump's praise for Fort Bragg that he suggested he and the first lady could move to the area.

The President and first lady met first at Pope Army Airfield with military families and members of the special forces who carried out the Maduro operation.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken from their home on a military base in January during a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela.

Rather than push for elections in Venezuela, Trump says his administration is inviting top oil companies there to rebuild its energy industry. U.S. officials also have seized tankers as part of their broad oversight of the country's oil industry.

“The relationship is strong, the oil is coming out,” Trump said Friday. He added: “We have our big oil companies going in, they're going to be pumping out the oil and selling the oil for a lot of money.”