Defense Secretary Mark Esper made remarks that sent a chill down the spine of Americans across the country during a conference call Donald Trump had with governors when he suggested bringing in the military to “dominate the battlespace” in reference to American cities and American citizens during this time of mass protest.
Millions of Americans are peacefully protesting the murder of George Floyd by police and are demanding an end to police brutality and racial injustice. Some right-wing agitators have moved in to cause violence and property damage, but Trump has decided to blame anti-fascists instead.
Trump referred to the governors as “weak” and urged them to bring in the military to put down the protests, a gross misuse of American troops.
But Esper agreed with Trump and not only referred to American cities as a battlefield to be conquered, but he also said it should be conquered so America can get back to “the right normal.”
“I think the sooner that you mass and dominate the battlespace, the quicker this dissipates and we can get back to the right normal,” Esper said. “We need to dominate the battlespace.”
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The “right normal” according to Trump and Republicans would be a conservative hellscape where civil liberties are crushed if you are not a white conservative Christian male. And it appears Trump is ready to declare war on the American people to get his way and stay in power.
Americans, including former SOCOM Commander Tony Thomas, expressed absolute mortification at what Esper said.
The “battle space” of America??? Not what America needs to hear…ever, unless we are invaded by an adversary or experience a constitutional failure…ie a Civil War…
— Tony Thomas (@TonyT2Thomas) June 1, 2020
“Dominate the battlespace?” What the actual fuck. Esper sees voters as the enemy, and what do you do to the enemy in a battle? You kill them. https://t.co/mLxBd3Wtwn
— LiberalNavySeal (@LiberalNavySeal) June 1, 2020
America’s cities are now being referred to as “the battlespace” by the President and our Sec. of Defense — as in, America’s governors need to “dominate the battlespace.” These people have lost their minds.
— Mark Perry (@markperrydc) June 1, 2020
Its a Battlespace.
Your neighborhood is a “battlespace”
The place where you live your life is future collateral damage. https://t.co/D50f2wUMU9
— Red Army Duck (@IronProle) June 1, 2020
Defense Secretary Esper on the call with Governors told them that they need to “dominate the battlespace”. This is how he referred to protests by (mostly non-violent) American citizens. This regime wants to kill its own people. Welcome to fascism. https://t.co/KgKt5dTsil
— David Wasser (@dwass) June 1, 2020
“Dominate the battlespace”? Aka the cities where Americans live? That language invites violence. How about “provide safety to peaceful demonstrators “? https://t.co/AXuRnsiVGr
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) June 1, 2020
This is bullshit. A “battlespace” is where America fights its foreign enemies. We are talking here about US cities and fellow citizens. We need to leave the rhetoric of war out of domestic law enforcement. https://t.co/KoxyP5yp2b
— Chris Brose (@cdbrose) June 1, 2020
Nothing authoritarian about the Pentagon chief advocating to “dominate the battlespace” of American cities at all https://t.co/zXoFQaK9CM
— Trevor Timm (@trevortimm) June 1, 2020
America’s military, our sons and daughters, will place themselves at risk to protect their fellow citizens. Their job is unimaginably hard overseas; harder at home. Respect them, for they respect you. America is not a battleground. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy. #BeBetter
— GEN(R) Martin E. Dempsey (@Martin_Dempsey) June 1, 2020
I’m sorry, but to hear the civilian head of the Defense Department talking about “dominate the battlespace” when talking about US protestors is absolutely galling
— Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) June 1, 2020
“ WE NEED TO DOMINATE THE BATTLESPACE”. These are the words of a Congressionally confirmed American Secretary of Defense. Dangerous and unacceptable don’t begin to describe it. There is no war on our shores. This is not a military matter. This is a law enforcement issue. Shame https://t.co/xCRuyeMVe8
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) June 1, 2020
“Dominate the battlespace?” In America? How quickly and have these Republican men turned to violence against their fellow citizens. They’ve lost patriotic loyalty to their fellow citizens, sense of proportionality, and commitment to justice. https://t.co/wBNqgVQTGZ
— Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) June 1, 2020
Make no mistake, Trump and his team are treating this like war and American citizens like enemy combatants. This has nothing to do with calming the nation and everything to do with Trump’s desire to crush dissent and stay in power. If the military follows his orders, they will have turned against their fellow Americans in support of fascism.
Featured image via screen capture
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