U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to hold a massive military parade in Washington, D.C., complete with tanks, missiles, and thousands of troops this weekend. But the idea is not sitting well with some members on Capitol Hill.
The parade is meant to celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary and coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday. It will cost taxpayers up to $45 million.
Highlights
- President Trump's military parade will cost taxpayers up to $45 million to celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary and his 79th birthday.
- Republican Senator Rand Paul criticized the parade, comparing it to authoritarian displays in North Korea and the Soviet Union.
- Only seven out of 50 conservative lawmakers plan to attend the parade, with many citing cost and necessity concerns.
- The event faces backlash for timing amid protests over Trump’s immigration policies and troop deployments to Los Angeles.
- Major TV networks will largely skip live coverage, with Fox News expected to provide the most extensive broadcast.
Republican Senator Rand Paul says the event reminds him more of authoritarian regimes in North Korea and the former Soviet Union.
Rand Paul says Donald Trump’s upcoming military parade harks back to North Korea and the Soviet Union
Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Paul told NBC that he’s not a fan of “goose-stepping soldiers and big tanks and missiles rolling down the street.”
“We were always different than, you know, the images you saw in the Soviet Union and North Korea. We were proud not to be that,” he said.
Paul clarified that his intention was not to “propose” that this is the image Trump wants to show, but that he is worried it is the message the parade will send.
“I love parades, but I’m not really excited about $40 million for a parade,” Paul told HuffPost.
“I don’t really think the symbolism of tanks and missiles is really what we’re all about,” he said.
Paul also said the White House disinvited him and his family from a bipartisan picnic after he spoke out against President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill.
Paul called the move “petty and immature” and said he has lost “a lot of respect” for Trump.
The parade will showcase about 130 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 tanks, 28 Bradley fighting vehicles, 28 Stryker armored fighting vehicles, and a number of vehicles towing artillery launchers.
There will be more than 50 helicopters and 7,000 soldiers.
It will be followed by a concert and fireworks show on the National Mall. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people to attend.
However, a poll by Politico showed that many conservative lawmakers themselves are not planning to attend the parade. Only seven out of 50 lawmakers told Politico they plan to attend the festivities.
Many said they’re skipping the event because of prior commitments.
Others, like Senator John Kennedy, said they simply don’t think the parade is necessary.
“The United States of America is the most powerful country in all of human history,” Kennedy told Fox News.
“We’re a lion, and a lion doesn’t have to tell you it’s a lion. Everybody else in the jungle knows, and we’re a lion.”
Republican Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin fiscal hawk, told Politico in an article published last Thursday, “If it costs money, I won’t go.”
According to NBC News, it may cost as much as $16 million to repair the streets of Washington, D.C., after the parade.
For Trump, the cost of the parade is “peanuts compared to the value of doing it,” he said in a May 4 interview on NBC News’ Meet the Press.
“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,” he said.
Only seven out of 50 lawmakers plan to attend the event
Image credits: The White House/ Flickr
But Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal questions the move: “Wouldn’t your preference be to save money in light of the budget cuts we’re seeing for training programs, freezes on hiring, shrinking staff levels, deferring maintenance, jeopardizing equipment maintenance fees?”
The White House told Politico that the parade will “celebrate 250 years of honor, courage, and sacrifice by our United States military.”
Among those confirmed to be attending is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
“Yes, of course,” she told Politico. “I’m going to be there for the 250th anniversary of the Army.”
Most others, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Majority Whip John Barrasso, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, are not going.
The parade is also facing backlash due to its timing.
It comes as nationwide protests continue against Trump’s immigration policies and his recent decision to deploy thousands of troops to Los Angeles.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has called the deployment a “brazen abuse of power.”
In response, Trump has warned that any protesters who show up at the parade will be met with “very heavy force.”
Protests are planned in more than 1,500 cities under the banner “No Kings,” to push back against Trump. None are currently scheduled for D.C. on the day of the parade.
In early May, Trump defended himself to NBC, saying the parade was for the Army’s 250th birthday, when accused of holding it for his birthday.
“My birthday happens to be on Flag Day,” he said. “I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday. Somebody put it together. But no, I think we’re going to do something on June 14, maybe, or somewhere around there. But I think June 14. It’s a very important day.”
But even with all the effort, the event may not get the attention Trump hopes for. Many major TV networks are skipping live coverage. Only Fox News is expected to cover the parade extensively. ABC, NBC, and CBS will stick mostly to regular shows and offer limited coverage through their streaming platforms.