President Trump is planning a military parade in Washington D.C. on June 14th, coinciding with both his birthday and the 250th anniversary of the US Army. The parade, which would feature tanks, aircraft, and missiles, has been confirmed by Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser after the White House contacted the city.
Trump previously attempted to organize a similar parade in 2017 after witnessing a Bastille Day parade in Paris. This earlier attempt was met with opposition from military leaders and Mayor Bowser due to logistical concerns and high estimated costs ($92 million). Concerns about the structural integrity of Arlington Memorial Bridge to support heavy military equipment were also raised.
With a new team of loyalists in top military posts, Trump may face less opposition this time. However, Arlington County Board chair Takis Karantonis expressed concern for military veterans who have recently lost jobs, and questioned the appropriateness of the celebration's cost, particularly given the Trump administration's cuts to government spending. The cost of the parade is estimated to be tens of millions of dollars, necessitating road closures, bridge closures, and airspace restrictions.
The article highlights the contrast between Trump's desire for a large military display and the Pentagon's general reluctance to stage such events, which are often associated with authoritarian regimes.
President Trump is said to be planning a military parade through Washington on his birthday.
Trump wants to showcase battle tanks, aircraft and missiles on June 14, according to The Washington City Paper. The date marks the 250th anniversary of the US army and happens to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday.
Muriel Bowser, the mayor of DC, confirmed the White House had reached out to the city’s special events task force about the plans, but said “I don’t know if it’s being characterised as a military parade.”
When a Fox News reporter told her it would start at the Pentagon and make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, Bowser replied: “Okay, well then it does sound like a military parade.”
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Trump had wanted to hold one during his first term after watching a Bastille Day parade in Paris in 2017.President Macron treated him to an elaborate military display, after which Trump said: “We’re going to have to try and top it.”Ultimately military leaders, as well as Mayor Bowser, dissuaded the president, expressing concerns about logistics and estimated costs of $92 million. Another problem was that Arlington Memorial Bridge might not be able to hold the weight of tanks and other military hardware.“The local politicians who run Washington, DC (poorly) know a windfall when they see it,” Trump wrote on social media at the time. “When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it.”• Trump’s approval rating: tracking the opinion pollsPentagon officials have long been reluctant to parade tanks, missiles and other weapons through the nation’s capital like the authoritarian leaders of North Korea and China, believing the world’s most powerful military does not need to broadcast its strength.A parade in North Korea and, below, in China five years agoKCNAThe Washington City Paper suggested Trump, who has assembled a team of loyalists in the top military posts, would not face opposition this time around.Trump fired Charles Q Brown Jr as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the highest-ranking officer in the country, as well as several other military figures.• The (very) weird day I met Donald TrumpTakis Karantonis, chair of the Arlington County Board, said the White House gave the county a “heads up” on Friday about the parade, but no details were provided.“It’s not clear to me what the scope of a parade would be,” Karantois said. “But I would hope the federal government remains sensitive to the pain and concerns of numerous [military] veteran residents who have lost or might lose their jobs in recent federal decisions, as they reflect on how best to celebrate the army’s anniversary.”The costs of holding such a parade, involving seven branches of the military, would likely run into tens of millions of dollars, and prove a headache for city officials, with roads, bridges and air space likely to be closed for the duration. Critics also questioned the cost as the Trump administration guts government departments to save federal spending.Skip the extension — just come straight here.
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