The photo op started a reckoning in the military. “I should not have been there,” said Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

There is scant evidence that loosely organized anti-fascists are a significant player in protests.

For many black service members, renaming the bases seems excruciatingly overdue. But President Trump has vowed to block the efforts.

Mr. Biden’s entire political career has been marked by personal loss. His allies say that makes him uniquely capable of leading a nation grappling with death.