Pentagon spokesmen Charlie Summers told CNN that President Trump requested a military parade. While the Pentagon has just started planning the parade, they are in the process of making it happen.
The initial meetings to discuss the parade started on January 18, according to The Washington Post. An anonymous military official told the Post, “The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France. This is being worked at the highest levels of the military.”
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, issued a statement after The Washington Post’s initial reports on the parade saying “President Trump is incredibly supportive of America’s great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe. He has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation.”
Many members of Congress came out against the parade. According to NBC, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Il) said that the country should “Take the money that the president would like to spend on this parade [and] instead, let’s make sure our troops are ready for battle and survive it and come home to their families.”
Representative Lee Zeldiin (R-Ny.) said “I don’t believe we should have tanks or nuclear weapons going down Pennsylvania Avenue.”
Some members of Congress took to Twitter to express their issues with the parade:
A military parade costs millions. Let’s fix military housing, hire more VA doctors, fund telehealth, DOD schools, support the commissaries, daycare for families, or give more flight training time. Our highest defense priority must be the service members, not the politicians.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) February 7, 2018
Twitter, in general, had a lot of reactions to the whole idea of this parade:
Trump’s wannabe despot checklist:
✓Call press “enemy of the people”
✓Scapegoat minorities
✓Call to jail political opponents
✓Fire people investigating you
✓Politicize law enforcement
✓Lie to boost cult of personality
✓Host strongman military parade— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) February 7, 2018
Trump simultaneously wants to shut down the government and hold a grand military parade.
He is one complicated shithead.
— Bryan Behar (@bryanbehar) February 7, 2018
This response to Trump’s military parade request from Fmr US Army General Paul Eaton is everything: “The military is not Donald Trump’s to use & abuse this way. Our military is the very best in the world, they are not to be reduced to stagecraft to prop up Donald Trump’s image”
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) February 7, 2018
A guy with five military draft deferments wanting a military parade to honor himself, is a bit like Cruella De Vil wanting an award from the humane society for her treatment of Dalmatians.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) February 7, 2018
Republicans about spending money on food stamps for poor kids: “THE DEFICIT!!!”
Republicans about throwing a giant military parade because Trump wants one: “WHAT DEFICIT???”
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) February 7, 2018
Leaked image emerges from dress rehearsal of Trump’s planned military parade: pic.twitter.com/J38qIBDwDr
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) February 7, 2018
Here’s an idea. Stock all those tanks and military vehicles with food and water, and parade them down the streets of Puerto Rico! #militaryparade
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) February 7, 2018
Will this parade happen? Only time will tell. According to The Post, Trump wants to have the parade on the 4th of July, so we’ll have to wait and see.