Army scrubs vid of parade tank with 'Hang Fauci & Bill Gates' graffiti
The death threat to Fauci and Gates - two people who have drawn the ire of President Donald Trump's MAGA base - was painted on a train car marked DODX, property of the Defense Department.
Steve Warren, an Army spokesperson, said the Army has no plans to investigate.
"We removed the post once notified of graffiti on the train that didn't align with Army values," he said. "We are excited to celebrate 250 years of service to the nation next week."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the government's response to COVID during Trump's first term, and Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft founder, are frequent targets of criticism from Republicans and Trump's supporters.
Fauci has said he received a deluge of death threats and harassment since he became a magnet for right-wing outrage as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the Pandemic, making him the public face of many pandemic social distancing policies and the COVID vaccine. Republicans have accused him of funding the Chinese government to create the virus and conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said he "belongs in prison."
"I still think deep down that there's a possibility that somebody's going to kill me," Fauci told USA TODAY in a 2024 interview.
Former President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon for Fauci before he left office, anticipating that Trump would seek revenge against the doctor. Days into his second term, Trump pulled federal funding for Fauci's security detail.
Gates, a Democratic Party donor who contributed millions to Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, also frequently pops up in some conspiracy theories. He has funded vaccination campaigns in poor countries, fueling online speculation that his vaccines contain microchips to track people.
Dozens of tanks to roll through Washington streets
The tank in the video was one of 28 tanks and more than two dozen armored vehicles making the weeks-long, cross-country journey to appear in the Army's 250th anniversary parade in the nation's capital on June 14. The tanks and vehicles will be unloaded from the train cars on June 9 in Jessup, Maryland, and transported to downtown Washington by truck.
More: Trump's getting his military parade. Here's what they look like from France to Russia
The Army is also laying down steel plates on spots in the parade route where the tanks will turn to protect the roads and has said it will pay for any damage they sustain. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said on May 29 she is still "concerned" about road damage.
The parade has faced scrutiny for conspicuously falling on President Donald Trump's birthday - also June 14. Trump pushed for a military parade during this first term but canceled his plans after pushback from Democrats and local politicians over the cost and logistics.
This time around, the parade is estimated to cost as much as $40 million.
Around 7,000 soldiers will also arrive in Washington for the occasion, which will also feature historic warplanes, helicopters, parachutists, and a bevy of events and entertainment.
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