FORT BRAGG, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump turned a trip marking the United States (US) army’s 250th birthday into a political-style rally Tuesday, wrapping himself in martial symbolism as he defended his decision to send soldiers to protest-hit Los Angeles.

The US commander-in-chief goaded troops to boo political opponents and the media and called protesters “animals” in what was meant to be a non-partisan event at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the country’s biggest military installation.

The Republican president meanwhile reinforced his strongman image as he watched spectacular rocket fire, special forces training and parachute displays, standing behind sandbags while surrounded by military officers in camouflage.

The event came days before tanks are set to rumble through Washington in a huge and highly unusual military parade on Saturday, which coincides with Trump’s own 79th birthday.

Trump has long shown a fascination for the military – and envy for the military parades that his foreign counterparts preside over.

But on Tuesday he spent much of his speech talking about anything but the army, preferring instead to go on a diatribe on the Los Angeles protests.

“They’re incompetent,” Trump said of California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, as some troops in the audience booed.

Newsom has attacked Trump as “dictatorial” after the president deployed thousands of troops including 700 active duty US Marines to Los Angeles following clashes sparked by US government immigration raids.

Pointing at the “fake news”, Trump said “look what I have to put up with” as troops booed again.

Democratic former president Joe Biden also earned a few boos when Trump mentioned him.

Trump then ramped up the military language as he promised to “liberate” Los Angeles, saying he would “not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy.”

The Republican also announced that he would be restoring the names of other US Army bases that, like Fort Bragg, honoured military figures of the pro-slavery Confederacy from the US Civil War.

He was accompanied by Pentagon chief and former Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth, who hailed the end of what he called “woke” in the US military.

In scenes that resembled one of his election rallies last year, Trump finally left the stage to cheers as he did his trademark dance to the Village People song YMCA.

The event comes in a week loaded with military symbolism for Trump.

He made it clear earlier that he would not tolerate anyone spoiling the parade on Saturday – which marks the 250th anniversary of the army but falls on his birthday too.

“If there’s any protest that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,” Trump said earlier at the White House.