(Quantico) In a discourse of rare political violence, Donald Trump called on Tuesday the American generals and admirals to mobilize against “the enemy of the interior”, by attacking undocumented immigrants, the press and its political opponents.
The initiative taken by the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to bring together the highest American officers in Quantico (Virginia) was already very unusual, the tone of the long speech of the American president was even more.
Faced with the army, American heads of state generally adopt a posture of “commander -in -chief” detached from partisan considerations.
Photo Jim Watson, agency France-Presse
President Donald Trump in the face of American generals and admirals on Tuesday
Nothing like the 79-year-old Republican, who said when leaving the White House, about this gathering of generals: “If there is someone I don’t like, I would like it right away. »»
The cities “managed by the Democrats of the radical left (…), San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, these are dangerous places. And we will put them in order one by one and it will be something very important for some people in this room. It is also a war. It is an interior war, ”said Donald Trump in an elsewhere disjointed speech.
The American president returned to his rhetoric of “51e State »concerning Canada during its speech.
By evoking his anti -missile shield project “Dome of gold”, Donald Trump told the Assembly that Canada had called a few weeks ago to ask to participate in the anti -missile shield.
The American president said he replied that Canada should join the United States to get it for free.
“Vicious” press
His decision to deploy soldiers in several cities, according to him to fight against crime and illegal immigration, was very criticized by the democratic opposition and by associations for the defense of public freedoms.
The American president also recalled having signed a decree creating “a rapid reaction force which makes it possible to repress the disturbances to public order”, made up of soldiers.
“It will be very important for people in this room, because it is the enemy of the interior. And it will be necessary to take care of it before the situation becomes uncontrollable, “he said to the high ranks, silent and impassive during his speech.
Photo Kevin Lamarque, Reuters
An audience of generals and admirals has been summoned very unusually near Washington
The billionaire also attacked the “vicious” and “liar” press several times, as well as his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden.
The Pentagon chief, renamed “Department of War” by Donald Trump, had previously said that the army had to turn his back on “decades of decline” due to the drug policies.
“We clean the debris,” said Pete Hegseth.
More beards or long hair
“We have become the department of” woke “, but no longer now,” promised the defense secretary, ensuring that the choice of soldiers deployed to fight would now respond “only to the highest male standard”.
The former animator of Fox News, a follower of a communication with virilist accents, also demanded that in the future the military be shaved closely, wear short hair and be in the best physical form.
Photo Andrew Harnik, Associated Press
The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth
It is “unacceptable to see overweight generals and admirals,” he said.
The Secretary of Defense said he wanted to make a clean sweeping of “ideological waste” bequeathed by the previous administration, citing as an example the fight against global warming, harassment, “toxic” leaders or the promotion based on race or gender.
“Together we wake up the warrior spirit,” added Donald Trump.
Dismissed
The Secretary of Defense, usually rather preserved from directly political interventions, was particularly marked by his return in January to the White House.
In May, Pete Hegseth ordered significant discounts in the number of highest officers in the army, including a drop of at least 20 % in the number of four -star generals and admirals.
The Pentagon has also announced that it wanted to reduce its civilian workforce by at least 5 %.
Several American army officials have been pushed towards the exit.
The American president notably dismissed in February, without giving an explanation, the chief of staff Charles “CQ” Brown.
The head of the American Navy, American coast guards, the Chief of the Air Force and several high-ranking military lawyers were also returned.
