US President-elect Donald Trump, during his fiery speech at the AmericaFest In Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday slammed the “woke culture”, calling it “bullshit”. He blamed the woke culture for undermining America’s strength. The 78-year-old’s comments sparked widespread reactions on social media including an endorsement from Elon Musk, who tweeted “YES!” alongside a viral clip of Trump’s remarks.“Woke has to stop. It’s destroying our country. Woke is bulls**,” Trump declared, referencing the renaming of US military bases that previously honored Confederate leaders. He pledged to reverse such changes, including restoring the original name of Fort Bragg in North Carolina, now called Fort Liberty.
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What is woke?
In the West, the term “woke” has become a lightning rod on both the left and the right – a symbol of a modern culture war. It first emerged in the US in the 1940s from the word “awake” and was used to describe someone who is well-informed on issues of social injustice – particularly racism, according to a report in Al-Jazeera.
In its original use, it meant being alert to the specific discrimination and systemic harm suffered by African Americans. More recently, it has been adopted as a ubiquitous watchword for a wide variety of social movements, including LGBTQ issues, feminism, immigration, climate change and marginalised communities.
— elonmusk (@elonmusk)
Trump declares open war on ‘Transgender Lunacy’
Trump also vowed to end critical race theory and “transgender insanity” in schools, promising a hardline approach to culture war issues as part of his post-inauguration agenda. “I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation, get transgender out of the military and out of our elementary schools and middle schools and high schools,” the president-elect said at an event for young conservatives in Phoenix, Arizona.
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He also vowed to “keep men out of women’s sports,” adding that “it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”
Speaking to the AmericaFest conference in a border state he easily carried in the November election, Trump further promised immediate measures against “migrant crime,” vowed to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and doubled down on his talk of restoring US control of the Panama Canal.
The remarks of Donald Trump come amid a growing political divide in the US over transgender rights, with states moving in opposite directions on issues such as medical treatments for minors and access to LGBTQ-themed books in public and school libraries. Republican-controlled states have sought to restrict access, while Democratic states have moved to safeguard transgender rights.
On Panama Canal
Trump said he would consider retaking control of the Panama Canal, which he referred to as a “vital national asset,” doubling down on social media posts he’d made on the topic Saturday.
“Our Navy and commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, highly unfair, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama — I say, very foolishly, by the United States,” Trump said. “This complete rip-off of our country will immediately stop.”
The Panama Canal, which links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is a vital passage for American commerce that was built principally by the United States and opened in 1914. President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty that began the process of transferring control of the canal to Panama in 1977, and that transfer was finalized in 1999.
Will Elon Musk become the US President? What Trump said
Trump pushed back on Democrats’ characterization of Elon Musk, one of his closest allies and supporters, as acting as the de facto president. “No, he’s not taking the presidency. I like having smart people,” he said. “They’re on a new kick. ‘Russia, Russia, Russia,’ ‘Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine,’ all the different hoaxes. The new one is ‘President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk.’ No, no, that’s not happening.”
Trump went on to praise Musk’s company, SpaceX, for making advancements in space travel and for its Starlink satellite technology, but again reiterated that Musk is “not going to be president.”
“No, he’s not going to be president, that I can tell you,” he said. “And I’m safe, you know why? He can’t be — he wasn’t born in this country.”
Agenda for “Liberation Day”
Trump outlined his plans for his first day in office, which he referred to as “liberation day.” He vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, expand domestic energy production, and eliminate “woke ideology” from public institutions. In a broader policy statement, Trump criticized the renaming of Mount McKinley to Denali during the Obama administration. He promised to restore the mountain’s original name, saying, “McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president. He deserves that honor.”
Vaccine skepticism and TikTok
Trump defended his controversial choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary, hinting at possible investigations into vaccines and their links to autism despite a lack of scientific evidence. “We’re going to find out a lot,” Trump said, emphasizing his goal to “make America healthy again.”
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On TikTok, Trump expressed openness to allowing the app to continue operating in the US, citing its role in reaching young voters during the 2024 election. “Maybe we gotta keep this sucker around for a little while,” he said.
Trump concluded by reiterating his commitment to fulfilling his campaign promises and tackling culture wars head-on. “We’re going to stop woke,” he declared, signaling a combative presidency ahead.
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