(New York) Will American journalists come to talk about the “8 a.m. madness” as they did the 5 p.m. madness during the Vietnam War?
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The “5 p.m. follies” refer to the daily press briefings held by the American army in a hotel in Saigon, from 1966 to 1973. After observing the gap between official information and the reality on the ground, journalists gave these meetings the nickname “5 O’Clock Follies”.
Follies that would represent “the longest tragicomedy ever performed in the theater of the absurd in Southeast Asia,” as described by Richard Pyle, Associated Press bureau chief in Saigon.
Held at 8 a.m., the Pentagon’s occasional press briefings on the Iran war have not yet been dubbed the “8 O’Clock Follies,” but perhaps it’s only a matter of time. In the meantime, these meetings are already borrowing from the theater of the absurd.
As proof, this statement made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a press briefing held on March 13: “For the moment, the only obstacle to passage through the Strait (of Hormuz) comes from Iran’s firing on the ships. Otherwise, navigation is open there. »
The “Mother of All Press Briefings”
The outcome of a military operation obviously does not depend on its spokesperson. But this often reflects the appearance of a war. Norman Schwarzkopf, for example, was the perfect embodiment of the success of Operation Desert Storm launched on January 17, 1991 to put an end to the occupation of Kuwait by Iraq.
At the head of American Central Command, the general was in charge of press briefings held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, including that of February 27, 1991, called “Mother of all press briefings” by a journalist.
In fatigues, microphone attached to his collar and wand in hand, the Vietnam War veteran used maps and graphs to explain in minute detail the evolution of the land phase of the operation, which would last only 100 hours. Looking gruff, the soldier showed no joy in describing the rout of the Iraqi army. But he spoke movingly and eloquently about American and allied losses.
The television critic of Washington Post had spoken of “a performance as captivating as the best of Hamlet “.
No one repeated such praise about Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s press briefing on April 11, 2003.
“Things that happen,” he said of the scenes of widespread looting in Baghdad in the wake of the American invasion of Iraq.
Stuff happens…
Vehemence and anger
Donald Rumsfeld’s nonchalance was all the more remarkable since he was one of the main architects of this invasion led by a “light and fast” force. This force proved insufficient to prevent Iraq from falling into chaos after the fall of Saddam Hussein.
With Pete Hegseth, ex-Fox News host, it is not the casualness that is striking, but the vehemence, even anger, that he displays by hammering out words and waving his arms.
“It wasn’t supposed to be a fair fight, and it’s not a fair fight. We hit them while they are down, which is exactly how it should be,” he said during a press briefing on March 4.
During the same press briefing, he criticized the media, accusing them of giving too much importance to the deaths of American soldiers mowed down by an Iranian strike.
PHOTO KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Pete Hegseth during his press briefing on March 4, 2026
“We control their destiny,” he said of the Iranians. But as soon as a few drones pass through, or tragic events occur, it makes the news. I understand, the press only wants to make the president look bad – but, for once, try to report reality. »
The media, enemy number 1?
At times, Pete Hegseth gives the impression that the media are the main enemies in this war. During a press briefing held on March 13, he notably described as “fake news” a CNN report according to which the Trump administration had underestimated the impact of its military offensive in Iran on the Strait of Hormuz.
“The sooner David Ellison takes the reins of this channel, the better,” he said, referring to the efforts of the son of Larry Ellison, one of Donald Trump’s great allies, to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, parent company of CNN.
By attacking the media in this way, Pete Hegseth is sure to please Donald Trump, the most important member of his audience. But he also takes care of his image. Thus, the Pentagon barred access to press briefings on the war in Iran to photographers who had published photos of the Secretary of Defense that its staff deemed “unflattering.”
During a press briefing held on March 19, this same Secretary of Defense added another response that was a theater of the absurd. “Our ungrateful allies in Europe, and even some segments of our national press, should say one thing to President Trump: thank you,” he implored.
At the time of the “5 O’Clock Follies”, journalists gathered in the Rex Hotel in Saigon would have burst out laughing upon hearing similar comments.
