Latest news with #250thBirthday
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
We're minimizing the horror of Trump's military birthday parade
In 2017, watching a two-hour Bastille Day procession, Donald Trump told the French president that we'd have one too, only better. That time, the grown-ups said no. The reasons given were costs – estimates ran to $92m – hellish logistics, and the Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser's worried that tanks and other armored vehicles would tear up Washington's streets. Some retired generals objected publicly to the totalitarian-adjacent optics, especially given the US president's praise for such bad actors as Saddam Hussein and Vladimir Putin. Several Republican lawmakers also expressed their distaste. 'Confidence is silent, and insecurity is loud,' the Louisiana senator John Kennedy told MSNBC. 'America is the most powerful country in all of human history ... and we don't need to show it off. We're not North Korea. We're not Russia, we're not China,' he continued, 'and I don't wanna be.' This time, as Washington prepares for a huge military shindig on 14 June, Trump's 79th – and, oh yes, the US army's 250th – birthday, the generals are silent. The Republicans have sworn allegiance to the king. And the media are focused on the price tag, the potholes and the impending pomp; on tensions between the blue city of Washington and the red capital; and on the decimation of veterans' healthcare, housing, and pensions while the administration throws $25m to $45m at a circus of war. All are important parts of the story. Yet commentary is muted and the debate mischaracterized as normal political discourse. The horrific point is missed: the spectacle of a massive show of military might, before a president who behaves like a dictator and views the armed forces as his personal foot soldiers, evinces memories of the worst totalitarian regimes. History may mark 14 June 2025 as the ceremonial birth of a new American fascism. Military Parade in Capital on Trump's Birthday Could Cost $45 Million, Officials Say, reported the New York Times in mid-May. CBS also led with the cost. The Washingtonian described in detail the street-damage-preventive measures the army is installing: metal plates under the parade route, rubber padding on the tank treads – though transportation experts warn that running, at last count, 28 Abrams tanks, 28 Bradley fighting vehicles, 28 Strykers, and four Paladins, each behemoth weighing as much as 70 tonnes, could buckle the asphalt and smash power, water and telecom lines underneath. Even the New Republic, the president's daily disparager, put the cost up top, tallied the ordinance, and noted that the man who 'signed an executive order creating a program to 'beautify Washington DC'' was now 'plotting to transform his expensive birthday party into a demolition derby that will cause serious damage to the roads that line the nation's capital'. In late May, three weeks after the Associated Press first revealed the parade plan, the army promised it would pay to fix the streets. It did not commit to picking up the multimillion-dollar tab for policing and cleanup, however, which will come out of a city budget from which the House cut $1.1bn in March and didn't get around to restoring. Still, the partial resolution of the infrastructure problems liberated the press to get on with the fun stuff: 'what to expect' on the festive day: not just planes, tanks and 6,700 soldiers, but also fireworks, football players and fitness competitions. USA Today linked to the free tickets page and published the parade route, plus a map of the military goodies on display, including robots and night-vision goggles. It called the event an 'unofficial birthday party'. ABC News ran a feature on Doc Holliday, the dog who will join the parade in a mule-drawn cart. Tucked into some stories was a sentence or two indicating controversy, such as this from Reuters: 'Critics have called a parade an authoritarian display of power that is wasteful, especially as Trump slashes costs throughout the federal government.' 'The plans have drawn some criticism from Democrats,' said CBS. The Hill wrote: 'Democrats and critics have questioned both the cost of the parade and whether it politicizes the military, which has traditionally been nonpartisan. The fact that the parade falls on Trump's birthday has only fueled criticism from Democrats who view it as a way for the president to celebrate himself.' Over at Fox, they were telling the critics to get over themselves. 'The Democratic party, they've chosen to be an outrage machine at a time when there is outrage fatigue in this country,' scoffed Kayleigh McEnany, Trump's former press secretary and current Fox News host. 'People are fed up with the 'authoritarianism coup' language.' It's true. Only one party is complaining. But what is striking about their complaints is the relative dearth of authoritarian coup language. 'The egotist-in-chief wants taxpayers to foot the bill for a military parade on his birthday,' said Steve Cohen, a US representative from Tennessee, in a statement. As if the president were moved by mere narcissism. Reported Forbes on 15 May: 'There has been no formal pushback to the proposal.' Trump likes hulking lethal toys, but he hasn't always been partial to the people who run them. There was the fight he picked with a couple of Muslim Gold Star parents during his first campaign; the comments on a 2018 European trip that fallen soldiers are 'losers' and 'suckers'; the undisguised queasiness about seeing or being seen with wounded veterans; the Pentagon session where he called his top officers 'a bunch of dopes and babies'. But he is warming to the role of commander in chief. In his commencement speech at West Point, between bloviations on Nato, drag shows, golf and trophy wives, he boasted about the unprecedented $1.1tn military budget. 'You'll become officers in the greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known,' he said. 'And I know because I rebuilt that army, and I rebuilt the military ... like nobody has ever rebuilt it before.' Also breaking from script on Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery, he suggested that the parade, on top of nabbing the World Cup and the Olympics, was divinely ordained. 'Look what I have, I have everything,' he cried. 'Amazing the way things work out. God did that.' If he is to ease from commander of the armed forces to commander of everything, he will need more than God on his side. He'll need to own the military. Forty-five million bucks is a good starting bid. Stalin's 50th birthday celebration, in 1929, is considered the kickoff of his cult of personality. Hitler's 50th birthday military parade, in April 1939, was organized by the propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels for maximum grandeur, including a motorcade of 50 white limousines. Five months later, Germany invaded Poland. Kim Jong-un changed Loyalty Oath Day from 1 January to his birthday, 8 January. This February, the Republican US representative Claudia Tenney of New York introduced a bill to designate Trump's birthday as a national holiday. It hasn't gone anywhere – yet. The pieces are lining up like a phalanx of soldiers. The website of America250, the non-profit fundraising and marketing arm of the Semiquincentennial Commission, is an advertisement for Trump. Its description of the 'grand military parade' refers to him in the second sentence and proclaims that under his 'leadership, the U.S. Army has been restored to strength and readiness'. At the parade, the crowd of 200,000 parade spectators will be dominated by Maga idol worshippers. Trump will watch the extravaganza from a reviewing stand, just like Xi Jinping and Putin did recently at Red Square. The army's Golden Knights parachute team will land on the Eclipse and hand the president a flag. Officials say there are 'no plans' to sing Happy Birthday, but there are rumors the army will also give Trump a birthday gift. Let's call 14 June what it promises to be: the ceremonial birth of the US's 21st-century fascist regime. Judith Levine is a Brooklyn journalist and essayist, a contributing writer to the Intercept and the author of five books. Her Substack, Today in Fascism, is at
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump reveals why God had him lose the 2020 election
By President Donald Trump is now thanking God that he missed the last four years in office - so he's able to be president during the U.S.'s 250th birthday festivities. Trump was delivering his Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday when he brought up the 'big, big celebration' to mark the country's 250 years. It starts next month on the president's birthday with a parade celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary, but the pinnacle of the celebration will take place on July 4th of next year. 'In some ways I'm glad I missed that second term where it was,' Trump said to laughs. 'Because I wouldn't be your president for that most important of all.' He also noted how the World Cup was coming to North America, including the United States, in the next few months and the 2028 summer Olympics would be held in Los Angeles . 'Can you imagine? I missed that four years and now look what I have. I have everything,' Trump said. 'Amazing the way things work out,' the president added. 'God did that, I believe that too.' Trump had segued to talk about the upcoming events taking place in the country from what was otherwise a subdued and somber speech about servicemembers giving the greatest sacrifice. But the president couldn't help himself - briefly slapping around former President Joe Biden during his remarks too. 'Those young men could never have known what their sacrifice would mean to us, but we certainly know what we owe to them,' Trump said. 'Their valor gave us the freest, greatest and most noble republic ever to exist on the face of earth - a republic that I am fixing after a long and hard four years.' 'That was a hard four years we went through,' the president ad-libbed. 'Who would let that happen?' 'People pouring through our borders unchecked, people doing things that are undescribable and not for today to discuss,' the continued. He added that the republic is 'now doing so very well.' 'We're doing so very well right now, considering the circumstances, and we'll do record-setting better with time, we will do better than we've ever done as a nation, better than ever before, I promise you that,' Trump said. He was cheered by the crowd. Trump then turned back to the teleprompter to continue reading his speech. During his remarks, Trump called attention to family members from several fallen servicemembers seated in the crowd. The two young boys of Senior Chief Shannon Kent, who was killed by an ISIS terrorist in Syria in 2019, were on hand - Colt and Josh, ages 9 and 7. 'Let me just say your mom was a hero,' Trump told them. 'And her love, her strength and her spirit are always with us and will always be with you. She loved her boys.' 'Please stand up wherever you may be - the boys, I want to see those boys. Where are you?' the president asked. 'Hey, good looking guys. Thank you very much for being here. All of you, thank you so much.' Trump participated in the Arlington Cemetery ceremony alongside Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who the president called a 'tough cookie' for surviving his Senate confirmation fight. They first placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then addressed the crowd. The president is expected to head to his Sterling, Virginia golf club to spend the rest of the Memorial Day holiday.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump reveals why GOD had him lose the 2020 election as he eviscerates Biden on Memorial Day
President Donald Trump is now thanking God that he missed the last four years in office - so he's able to be president during the U.S.'s 250th birthday festivities. Trump was delivering his Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday when he brought up the 'big, big celebration' to mark the country's 250 years. It starts next month on the president's birthday with a parade celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary, but the pinnacle of the celebration will take place on July 4th of next year. 'In some ways I'm glad I missed that second term where it was,' Trump said to laughs. 'Because I wouldn't be your president for that most important of all.' He also noted how the World Cup was coming to North America, including the United States, in the next few months and the 2028 summer Olympics would be held in Los Angeles. 'Can you imagine? I missed that four years and now look what I have. I have everything,' Trump said. 'Amazing the way things work out,' the president added. 'God did that, I believe that too.' Trump had segued to talk about the upcoming events taking place in the country from what was otherwise a subdued and somber speech about servicemembers giving the greatest sacrifice. But the president couldn't help himself - briefly slapping around former President Joe Biden during his remarks too. 'Those young men could never have known what their sacrifice would mean to us, but we certainly know what we owe to them,' Trump said. 'Their valor gave us the freest, greatest and most noble republic ever to exist on the face of earth - a republic that I am fixing after a long and hard four years.' 'That was a hard four years we went through,' the president ad-libbed. 'Who would let that happen?' 'People pouring through our borders unchecked, people doing things that are undescribable and not for today to discuss,' the continued. He added that the republic is 'now doing so very well.' 'We're doing so very well right now, considering the circumstances, and we'll do record-setting better with time, we will do better than we've ever done as a nation, better than ever before, I promise you that,' Trump said. He was cheered by the crowd. Trump then turned back to the teleprompter to continue reading his speech. During his remarks, Trump called attention to family members from several fallen servicemembers seated in the crowd. The two young boys of Senior Chief Shannon Kent, who was killed by an ISIS terrorist in Syria in 2019, were on hand - Colt and Josh, ages 9 and 7. 'Let me just say your mom was a hero,' Trump told them. 'And her love, her strength and her spirit are always with us and will always be with you. She loved her boys.' 'Please stand up wherever you may be - the boys, I want to see those boys. Where are you?' the president asked. 'Hey, good looking guys. Thank you very much for being here. All of you, thank you so much.' Trump participated in the Arlington Cemetery ceremony alongside Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who the president called a 'tough cookie' for surviving his Senate confirmation fight. They first placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then addressed the crowd. The president is expected to head to his Sterling, Virginia golf club to spend the rest of the Memorial Day holiday.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
White House Finally Spills on Trump's Lavish Military Parade
The U.S. Army's upcoming 250th birthday military parade is slated to be a jam-packed affair. The White House finally spilled on the event's itinerary in a press release Wednesday, revealing that it will take place on Constitution Ave in Washington D.C. between 15th and 23rd Street and last for three hours. The celebration, which also coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, is slated to run between 6:30 to 9:30 pm on June 14 with guest entry beginning at 2:00 pm. Tickets are now available through America250's website and will be distributed on a first come first served basis. 'The parade will trace the Army's evolution from the Revolutionary War through to the U.S. Army of Tomorrow,' the White House's statement read. 'Attendees will experience 250 years of Army heritage through historical U.S. Army personnel reenactors, period-accurate equipment, vehicles, impressive flyovers, and military bands participating in this landmark event.' Army officials disclosed further details to reporters at the Pentagon Wednesday, sharing that over 50 aircraft pieces, including military helicopters and historical planes like a B-25 bomber, are to take part in a planned flyover. Moreover, 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting vehicles, and 28 Strykers will also be included in the parade along with 4 Paladins, Axios, citing army spokesperson Steve Warren, reported. Trump is slated to deliver remarks during the event as well, which will also include a firework show. When asked if Trump's birthday would somehow be roped into the event, Warren told reporters: 'No plans. This has been the Army's birthday for [250] — we've had 249 previous of these.' Officials anticipate that at least 200,000 people will be attending, excluding the roughly 6,700 soldiers expected to participate in the parade, and have categorized the celebration as a 'national security special event.' The categorization is often designated to tentpole events like the Super Bowl. The Army expects to spend between $25 million to $45 million on their birthday plans, which will include a handful of other events like a festival preceding the parade at the National Mall. The president has long yearned for an extravagant military parade, previously pushing for one during his first administration in 2018. He ultimately canceled the event however after it was estimated to cost $92 million, according to the Associated Press.
Washington Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
With Trump's plans for America's 250th in mind, Iowa lawmakers don't want cities to limit fireworks
Iowa lawmakers want President Donald Trump to know that their state is eager to be at the center of next year's celebration of the nation's 250th birthday and shares his vision of fireworks filling the skies — so much so that they don't want local officials blocking any small, neighborhood displays.
