Latest news with #GoArmy
Kuwait Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Parade draws fans, critics to Washington
WASHINGTON: Parachutists glided through the air as soldiers marched and tanks groaned through the barricaded streets of Washington Saturday during a military parade long-coveted by US President Donald Trump, as a largely quiet crowd watched on. On the National Mall, enclosed within almost 32 km of high-security fencing, nearly 7,000 soldiers and about 150 military vehicles paraded to intermittent cheers. Rain had threatened to wash out the event but it never came, much to the relief of those lining the four-lane street that runs past the White House, where Trump stood watching and frequently saluting the passing troops. The crowd was mostly quiet as soldiers in uniforms dating back to the 1700s marched past, bar the occasional shouts of 'Thank you, Army!' that spurred cheers and whoops. Many wore Trump's signature red 'Make America Great Again' baseball caps, but others attending made clear they supported the Army — but opposed the norm-bending president. 'Personally, I'm not a fan of Trump, but I'm a fan of the Army,' said Andrew Smith, 24, whose brother serves in the military. 'I feel like we can separate politics and what we stand for, and then hopefully get along,' he added. 'Beat Fascism!' Marty Wrin echoed the sentiments expressed among the crowds of protesters gathered outside the parade area in Washington, and around the country Saturday. 'I'm proud to be American,' insisted the 56-year-old IT worker from Washington, wearing a hat saying 'resist' and holding a sign saying 'Go Army. Beat Fascism!' 'I'm proud of our democracy, and I'm worried about our democracy right now for the first time in my life,' he told AFP. Wrin said he was impressed by the parade, but did not like something he associated with dictatorships happening on US streets. 'It's the Army being used by Trump to make himself feel more powerful,' he said. With cloudy skies overhead, people stood on tiptoes to catch a glimpse of the military gear on display. Several children sat on their parents' shoulders to get a better view and waved back to soldiers sitting atop tanks and other armored vehicles. Michele Sabat, who said she had attended several past Trump rallies, told AFP she was thrilled that she had traveled from Pennsylvania to watch the parade. 'I wanted to honor the military, I feel it's the right thing to do. They protect us, they save us, and you've got to respect them,' the retired 68-year-old said. She sat on a curb next to Camila Rodriguez, 30, watching as thousands of troops marched by in the largest such parade in decades. Rodriguez, an auditor from Boston, said she was impressed by what she saw. 'All the troops... There's so many of them. So anything to support them,' she said. 'I will always be here for that.' — AFP
Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Military parade draws Trump fans, and critics, to US capital - International
Parachutists glided through the air as soldiers marched and tanks groaned through the barricaded streets of Washington Saturday during a military parade long-coveted by US President Donald Trump, as a largely quiet crowd watched on. On the National Mall, enclosed within almost 20 miles (32 kilometers) of high-security fencing, nearly 7,000 soldiers and about 150 military vehicles paraded to intermittent cheers. Rain had threatened to wash out the event but it never came, much to the relief of those lining the four-lane street that runs past the White House, where Trump stood watching and frequently saluting the passing troops. The crowd was mostly quiet as soldiers in uniforms dating back to the 1700s marched past, bar the occasional shouts of "Thank you, Army!" that spurred cheers and whoops. Many wore Trump's signature red "Make America Great Again" baseball caps, but others attending made clear they supported the Army -- but opposed the norm-bending president. "Personally, I'm not a fan of Trump, but I'm a fan of the Army," said Andrew Smith, 24, whose brother serves in the military. "I feel like we can separate politics and what we stand for, and then hopefully get along," he added. 'Beat Fascism!' Marty Wrin echoed the sentiments expressed among the crowds of protesters gathered outside the parade area in Washington, and around the country Saturday. "I'm proud to be American," insisted the 56-year-old IT worker from Washington, wearing a hat saying "resist" and holding a sign saying "Go Army. Beat Fascism!" "I'm proud of our democracy, and I'm worried about our democracy right now for the first time in my life," he told AFP. Wrin said he was impressed by the parade, but did not like something he associated with dictatorships happening on US streets. "It's the Army being used by Trump to make himself feel more powerful," he said. With cloudy skies overhead, people stood on tiptoes to catch a glimpse of the military gear on display. Several children sat on their parents' shoulders to get a better view and waved back to soldiers sitting atop tanks and other armored vehicles. Michele Sabat, who said she had attended several past Trump rallies, told AFP she was thrilled that she had traveled from Pennsylvania to watch the parade. "I wanted to honor the military, I feel it's the right thing to do. They protect us, they save us, and you've got to respect them," the retired 68-year-old said. She sat on a curb next to Camila Rodriguez, 30, watching as thousands of troops marched by in the largest such parade in decades. Rodriguez, an auditor from Boston, said she was impressed by what she saw. "All the troops... There's so many of them. So anything to support them," she said. "I will always be here for that." Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Glasgow Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Donald Trump hails West Point cadets and takes credit for US military might
'In a few moments, you'll become graduates of the most elite and storied military academy in human history,' Mr Trump said at the ceremony in New York on Saturday. 'And you will become officers of the greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known. 'And I know, because I rebuilt that army, and I rebuilt the military. Graduating cadet Chris Verdugo, left, is pictured on screen alongside President Donald Trump (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) 'And we rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before in my first term.' Wearing a red Make America Great Again hat, the Republican president told the 1,002 graduating cadets that 'you came from excellence, you came for duty'. He said: 'We're getting rid of distractions and we're focusing our military on its core mission: crushing America's adversaries, killing America's enemies and defending our great American flag like it has never been defended before.' He later said that 'the job of the US armed forces is not to host drag shows or transform foreign cultures', a reference to drag shows on military bases that former president Joe Biden's administration halted after Republican criticism. Mr Trump said the cadets were graduating at a 'defining moment' in the army's history, as he criticised past political leaders for leading soldiers into 'nation-building crusades to nations that wanted nothing to do with us'. Several points during his address at the football stadium on the military academy's campus were indistinguishable from a political speech. Donald Trump arrives to deliver the commencement speech (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Mr Trump claimed that when he left the White House in 2021, 'we had no wars, we had no problems, we had nothing but success, we had the most incredible economy'. He noted that he won all seven swing states and 2,750 districts in the November election, arguing that those results gave him a 'great mandate' and 'it gives us the right to do what we want to do'. At one point Mr Trump summoned a cadet, Chris Verdugo, to the stage, noting that he completed an 18.5 mile march on a freezing night in January in just two hours and 30 minutes. Just outside the campus, about three dozen demonstrators gathered before the ceremony and were waving miniature American flags. One in the crowd carried a sign that said Support Our Veterans and Stop the Cuts, while others held up plastic buckets with the message Go Army Beat Fascism. Mr Trump gave the commencement address at West Point in 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cadets gather ahead of the ceremonies (Adam Gray/AP) He had urged the graduating cadets to 'never forget' the soldiers who fought a war over slavery, in a speech which came as the nation was reckoning with its history on race after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Mr Trump also paid tribute to the military academy's history and its famed graduates, including Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The ceremony five years ago drew scrutiny because the US Military Academy forced the graduating cadets, who had been at home because of Covid-19, to return to an area near a pandemic hot spot. Mr Trump was in Alabama, earlier this month to speak to the University of Alabama's graduating class. His remarks mixed standard commencement fare and advice with political attacks against Mr Biden, musings about transgender athletes and lies about the 2020 election. On Friday, vice president JD Vance spoke to the graduating class at the US Naval Academy in Maryland. Mr Vance said that Mr Trump was working to ensure US soldiers are deployed with clear goals rather than the 'undefined missions' and 'open-ended conflicts' of the past.
South Wales Guardian
24-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Donald Trump hails West Point cadets and takes credit for US military might
'In a few moments, you'll become graduates of the most elite and storied military academy in human history,' Mr Trump said at the ceremony in New York on Saturday. 'And you will become officers of the greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known. 'And I know, because I rebuilt that army, and I rebuilt the military. Graduating cadet Chris Verdugo, left, is pictured on screen alongside President Donald Trump (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) 'And we rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before in my first term.' Wearing a red Make America Great Again hat, the Republican president told the 1,002 graduating cadets that 'you came from excellence, you came for duty'. He said: 'We're getting rid of distractions and we're focusing our military on its core mission: crushing America's adversaries, killing America's enemies and defending our great American flag like it has never been defended before.' He later said that 'the job of the US armed forces is not to host drag shows or transform foreign cultures', a reference to drag shows on military bases that former president Joe Biden's administration halted after Republican criticism. Mr Trump said the cadets were graduating at a 'defining moment' in the army's history, as he criticised past political leaders for leading soldiers into 'nation-building crusades to nations that wanted nothing to do with us'. Several points during his address at the football stadium on the military academy's campus were indistinguishable from a political speech. Donald Trump arrives to deliver the commencement speech (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Mr Trump claimed that when he left the White House in 2021, 'we had no wars, we had no problems, we had nothing but success, we had the most incredible economy'. He noted that he won all seven swing states and 2,750 districts in the November election, arguing that those results gave him a 'great mandate' and 'it gives us the right to do what we want to do'. At one point Mr Trump summoned a cadet, Chris Verdugo, to the stage, noting that he completed an 18.5 mile march on a freezing night in January in just two hours and 30 minutes. Just outside the campus, about three dozen demonstrators gathered before the ceremony and were waving miniature American flags. One in the crowd carried a sign that said Support Our Veterans and Stop the Cuts, while others held up plastic buckets with the message Go Army Beat Fascism. Mr Trump gave the commencement address at West Point in 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cadets gather ahead of the ceremonies (Adam Gray/AP) He had urged the graduating cadets to 'never forget' the soldiers who fought a war over slavery, in a speech which came as the nation was reckoning with its history on race after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Mr Trump also paid tribute to the military academy's history and its famed graduates, including Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The ceremony five years ago drew scrutiny because the US Military Academy forced the graduating cadets, who had been at home because of Covid-19, to return to an area near a pandemic hot spot. Mr Trump was in Alabama, earlier this month to speak to the University of Alabama's graduating class. His remarks mixed standard commencement fare and advice with political attacks against Mr Biden, musings about transgender athletes and lies about the 2020 election. On Friday, vice president JD Vance spoke to the graduating class at the US Naval Academy in Maryland. Mr Vance said that Mr Trump was working to ensure US soldiers are deployed with clear goals rather than the 'undefined missions' and 'open-ended conflicts' of the past.
South Wales Argus
24-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Donald Trump hails West Point cadets and takes credit for US military might
'In a few moments, you'll become graduates of the most elite and storied military academy in human history,' Mr Trump said at the ceremony in New York on Saturday. 'And you will become officers of the greatest and most powerful army the world has ever known. 'And I know, because I rebuilt that army, and I rebuilt the military. Graduating cadet Chris Verdugo, left, is pictured on screen alongside President Donald Trump (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) 'And we rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before in my first term.' Wearing a red Make America Great Again hat, the Republican president told the 1,002 graduating cadets that 'you came from excellence, you came for duty'. He said: 'We're getting rid of distractions and we're focusing our military on its core mission: crushing America's adversaries, killing America's enemies and defending our great American flag like it has never been defended before.' He later said that 'the job of the US armed forces is not to host drag shows or transform foreign cultures', a reference to drag shows on military bases that former president Joe Biden's administration halted after Republican criticism. Mr Trump said the cadets were graduating at a 'defining moment' in the army's history, as he criticised past political leaders for leading soldiers into 'nation-building crusades to nations that wanted nothing to do with us'. Several points during his address at the football stadium on the military academy's campus were indistinguishable from a political speech. Donald Trump arrives to deliver the commencement speech (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Mr Trump claimed that when he left the White House in 2021, 'we had no wars, we had no problems, we had nothing but success, we had the most incredible economy'. He noted that he won all seven swing states and 2,750 districts in the November election, arguing that those results gave him a 'great mandate' and 'it gives us the right to do what we want to do'. At one point Mr Trump summoned a cadet, Chris Verdugo, to the stage, noting that he completed an 18.5 mile march on a freezing night in January in just two hours and 30 minutes. Just outside the campus, about three dozen demonstrators gathered before the ceremony and were waving miniature American flags. One in the crowd carried a sign that said Support Our Veterans and Stop the Cuts, while others held up plastic buckets with the message Go Army Beat Fascism. Mr Trump gave the commencement address at West Point in 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cadets gather ahead of the ceremonies (Adam Gray/AP) He had urged the graduating cadets to 'never forget' the soldiers who fought a war over slavery, in a speech which came as the nation was reckoning with its history on race after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Mr Trump also paid tribute to the military academy's history and its famed graduates, including Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The ceremony five years ago drew scrutiny because the US Military Academy forced the graduating cadets, who had been at home because of Covid-19, to return to an area near a pandemic hot spot. Mr Trump was in Alabama, earlier this month to speak to the University of Alabama's graduating class. His remarks mixed standard commencement fare and advice with political attacks against Mr Biden, musings about transgender athletes and lies about the 2020 election. On Friday, vice president JD Vance spoke to the graduating class at the US Naval Academy in Maryland. Mr Vance said that Mr Trump was working to ensure US soldiers are deployed with clear goals rather than the 'undefined missions' and 'open-ended conflicts' of the past.
