Trump's $45 Million Military Parade: A Spectacle Inspired by Autocrats? President Trump's extravagant military parade, reminiscent of displays in North Korea, Russia, and China, raises concerns about its symbolism and cost. Critics question the timing and expense of this event, particularly given its proximity to Trump's birthday and the lack of similar celebrations for other branches of the military. This controversial display prompts debate on the role of military pageantry in a democracy
Trump's $45 million taxpayer-funded military parade: Tanks and missiles roll through Washington D.C., evoking Pyongyang, Beijing, and Moscow's Red Square. Critics condemn the display as an autocratic spectacle, questioning its purpose and cost amid concerns about the militarization of American politics
Sen. Rand Paul criticizes Trump's military parade: "The symbolism of tanks and missiles evokes images of the Soviet Union and North Korea, not America
Trump's $45 million military parade: A birthday gift or Army celebration? The White House claims the extravagant display honors the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, not the President's 79th birthday. However, the Navy and Marines also have anniversaries this year, yet no comparable celebrations are planned. HuffPost inquiries to the White House regarding this discrepancy remain unanswered
Trump's Military Parade: A Harbinger of Authoritarianism? Critics condemn Trump's taxpayer-funded military display as a dangerous abuse of power, citing his history of deploying troops against protesters, attacking judges, and silencing critics. This self-congratulatory spectacle, reminiscent of autocratic regimes, raises serious concerns about democratic erosion
Trump's Military Parade: Authoritarian Power Display or Optics? Critics condemn the $45 million taxpayer-funded event, comparing it to authoritarian regimes like North Korea and Russia, especially given the deployment of US troops to quell domestic protests. A former Ted Cruz aide calls the parade a blatant celebration of authoritarian power
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton reveals President Trump's fascination with military parades stemmed from witnessing France's Bastille Day celebration in 2017, sparking his desire for a similar spectacle in the US
Trump's planned military parade: High cost and potential damage to Washington D.C. streets dissuaded him, according to Bolton. Concerns over optics and financial implications ultimately prevented the event
Former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Paul Selva, reportedly criticized President Trump's military parade, calling it "what dictators do
Rare in US history, military parades like the 1991 post-Gulf War celebration under President George H.W. Bush, are now a topic of debate following President Trump's costly 2025 display, drawing comparisons to authoritarian regimes
Trump's $45 million military parade: A birthday celebration or a display of autocratic power? Critics argue the event, featuring tanks and missiles, mirrors those of Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Xi Jinping, overshadowing its purported purpose—celebrating the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. Former official John Bolton countered that the parade's true focus is President Trump himself
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) condemned President Trump's casual use of the military, warning that his actions should deeply concern Americans
Trump's D.C. military parade: Unconstitutional threat to peaceful protesters? A prominent critic condemns the President's planned use of troops against citizens as unprecedented, un-American, and a violation of constitutional rights, demanding immediate accountability. The controversial parade, costing $45 million, raises concerns about militarization and the erosion of democratic values
Despite his public pronouncements of military support, Donald Trump's history reveals decades of disrespect and disdain towards the armed forces and service members
Donald Trump's Vietnam War deferment: A young Trump avoided military service during the Vietnam War, receiving a diagnosis of bone spurs from a doctor connected to his father
In 2015, running for president, Trump declared that Arizona Sen. John McCain, who spent nearly six years in a Hanoi prison undergoing routine torture, was not a war hero just because he was captured. Trump said he preferred those who were not captured.
During his first term in office, when he was unable to get fellow Republicans running both chambers of Congress to approve billions of dollars for a border wall he had repeatedly promised Mexico would pay for, Trump instead raided a Pentagon fund for service members’ housing and schools to pay for it instead.
Also in those years, Trump disparaged those in the military who had died for the United States as “suckers” and “losers,” according to his own chief of staff.
And just months into his second term, Trump broke the tradition of the commander-in-chief shaking the hand of every graduating cadet at a military academy by immediately leaving West Point after his speech and returning to his golf resort in New Jersey.
Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden spent 70 minutes congratulating each graduate last year, as Trump himself had done five years earlier, although he later complained about how many times he had to raise his arm to salute.
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To this day, Trump still does not seem to understand military protocol. On his recent trip to the Middle East, Trump saluted Saudi military officials, just as he had saluted North Korean officers during his summit meeting with Kim in 2018.
Protect Democracy’s Carpenter said Americans need to take Saturday as a warning of things to come. “Americans should see this plainly for what it is: Troops in the streets are troops in the streets, whether it’s a parade or a raid,” she said.
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