Jim Defense, former Defense Minister, accuses Donald Trump of "dividing" America

Since resigning in 2018 to protest the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, General Jim Mattis has complied with his duty of restraint. On Wednesday June 4, Donald Trump's former defense minister broke the silence and attacked the American president, accusing him of " dividing " America. The former general of the Marines clearly did not digest the threats of Donald Trump to involve the army against the demonstrators, while the United States is in the grip of a historical wave of anger since the death of an Afro- American last week.

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" In my lifetime, Donald Trump is the first president who does not try to bring the Americans together, who does not even pretend to try, " wrote the 69-year-old former general in a statement posted by the journal. The Atlantic and other American media.

In my lifetime, Donald Trump is the first president who doesn't try to bring the Americans together, who doesn't even pretend to try

" Instead, he is trying to divide us ," added the highly respected soldier, who had so far posted his reservation, explaining that he preferred not to comment directly on the mandate of the Republican billionaire. This time, too much is too much in his eyes: " We pay the consequences of three years without adults in charge ".

The President's reaction was immediate. In a tweet, Donald Trump called him " the most overestimated general in the world " and " crazy dog ". " I'm glad he left!" Insisted the tenant of the White House.

Jim Mattis, first head of the Pentagon after the arrival in the White House of a Donald Trump without military or diplomatic experience, was then considered, even in the Republican ranks, as one of the rare " adults in the room Able to contain the impulses of the ex-businessman.

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He resigned with a bang in December 2018 the day after President Trump's announcement of a total unilateral withdrawal from Syria, without consulting the Washington allies in the fight against the jihadist group Islamic State.

On Wednesday, he reacted to the presidential reaction to the troubles of the past week. " I observed the unfolding of the events of this week, in anger and dismayed ", he continues in this text entitled " The Union is strength ", supporting the demonstrators who demand, according to him " rightly ", the equality of rights.

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"A new path"

Since the May 25 death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a black man asphyxiated by a white police officer, a wave of historic anger has risen in American cities, denouncing racism, police violence and social inequalities. Hundreds of thousands of protesters protested peacefully across the country, but looting and riots also marred the movement. Donald Trump used a martial tone and threatened to resort to the army to put down the street, presenting himself as "president of law and order ".

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" We must not be distracted by a handful of outlaws. The demonstrations are tens of thousands of principled people who insist that we live up to our values, ”says Jim Mattis. " We must reject and hold accountable those in power who mock our Constitution, " he adds.

" When I joined the military, about 50 years ago, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, " he writes. " I never imagined that soldiers who take the same oath could be ordered, whatever the circumstances, to violate the constitutional rights of their fellow citizens - let alone to allow the elected commander-in-chief to go pose for a photo, absurdly, with the military leaders by his side . ”

As Donald Trump delivered a muscular speech in the White House gardens Monday evening, announcing the deployment of thousands of soldiers and police in Washington, these same police force dispersed the demonstrators around with tear gas. Objective: free up the field for the president so that he can then go, on foot, to an emblematic church degraded during the weekend, where he posed for the cameras a bible in his hand.

On Wednesday, current Defense Minister Mark Esper - who was in the photo - himself distanced himself from admitting to having made a mistake. He declared his opposition to the deployment of the army on American territory, in apparent disagreement with the president.

Jim Mattis goes further, and speaks of an “ abuse ” of the executive power. " Only by adopting a new path ", " we will once again be an admired and respected country, here and abroad, " concludes the former minister, five months before a presidential election in which Donald Trump will seek a second mandate.