6 days ago
Trump's military parade doubles as a birthday party
Washington is bracing for a massive military parade in the coming weeks, ostensibly to celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary. But President Trump's presence is likely to loom large over the proceedings for a variety of reasons.
The parade falls on the same day as his 79th birthday. He has a long-held fascination with ostentatious military displays. And the president's critics have raised concerns about both the cost and the optics at a time when Trump is facing accusations that he is ruling akin to a dictator.
It's a manifestation of an idea Trump mused about during his first term but that never quite came to fruition.
'We're going to have a big, big celebration, as you know, 250 years,' Trump said Monday at Arlington Cemetery, speaking broadly of plans to celebrate the anniversary of the country's founding. 'In some ways I'm glad I missed that second term where it was because I wouldn't be your president for that.'
The military parade is expected to overtake parts of the nation's capital on June 14 to mark 250 years of the U.S. Army. It will feature thousands of service members, dozens of military vehicles and an overall cost of up to $45 million, according to military officials.
Service members in town for the event will stay in government facilities, such as a Department of Agriculture building. There will be a fitness competition on the National Mall. The main parade will take place from 6:30 p.m. EDT until 9:30 p.m.
And of course, there will be Trumpian flourishes.
The president will observe the parade from a viewing stand set up on Constitution Avenue near the White House. Paratroopers from the Army's Golden Knights are expected to land on the Ellipse and hand the president an American flag.
And Trump will deliver remarks, which the White House said will celebrate 250 years of the Army's 'exceptional service, significant achievements, and enduring legacy.' Officials, including Trump, have downplayed the significance of the event falling on his birthday, noting it happens to be the same day as Flag Day and the Army's anniversary.
An Army official said the celebration for the branch's 250th anniversary has been in the works for two years. The incorporation of the parade, which is more of a hallmark of Trump's gaudy and ostentatious style, is 'more recent,' the official said, though they would not specify where the idea came from.
But one doesn't have to look far to see Trump's interest in such a parade. Trump attended Bastille Day celebrations in France in 2017, complete with military vehicles rolling down the streets while service members carry flags as government officials look on.
Trump took an interest in having a similar event in the U.S. And while the idea was generally rebuffed during his first term by both federal officials and those in the District of Columbia, Trump did manage to organize a 'Salute to America' event on the Fourth of July in 2019.
That event featured military tanks on display around the National Mall and flyovers that featured the Navy Blue Angels, other military aircraft and the plane that serves as Air Force One. It was capped by a Trump speech near the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
But in his second term — rid of officials like former Defense Secretary James Mattis who pushed back on Trump's impulses — the president is plowing full speed ahead with a more fulsome military display.
'We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we're going to celebrate it,' Trump told NBC's 'Meet the Press' in an interview.
Asked about the financial cost, Trump called it 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.'
The president and White House officials have boasted that Trump has returned the armed forces to readiness by getting rid of so-called woke ideology and practices. The Pentagon has moved to bar transgender people from serving and purged diversity, equity and inclusion policies in place at the department.
The administration has also touted that the Army is on track to meet its annual recruiting goal ahead of schedule, an achievement officials credit to the leadership of Trump and his Defense secretary, veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth.
But where Trump sees military might and American exceptionalism, his critics see a wannabe strongman putting on a parade for himself.
'Donald Trump is not alone among world leaders in wanting a parade. In fact, I think he derives inspiration from other world leaders he emulates,' Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in a recent video posted to social media, invoking military displays in North Korea, Russia and China.
'So why do all of these would-be dictators love a military parade?' Schiff added. 'Well they love a military parade because it sends a message to the country … that they are in charge of the military. That this is their military might to use as they would, externally or internally.'
Samuels covers the White House for The Hill.
