Donald Trump has personally threatened any would-be protestors with arrest. His newly proposed big military parade down Pennsylvania Ave., which if it occurs would coincide with the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. Trump warned that any protesters who decided to show up would face “very, very, very strong force.” The parade has drawn attention not only for its significance but for its projected cost, estimated at up to $45 million.
In a recent statement, Trump emphasized the celebratory nature of the parade, saying, “We’re going to be celebrating big on Saturday.” His comments come as protests against the federal government—including protests against its immigration enforcement efforts—are receiving increased national attention. Just days before the parade, Trump ordered as many as 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to deployment in Los Angeles. This improved response to the protests is expected to be over $134 million.
While discussing the upcoming parade, Trump reiterated his stance on protestors, declaring, “And if there’s any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force.” This comment speaks volumes about his administration’s greater strategy of quelling dissent during major public events. He proceeded to paint the people who might protest as people who “hate our country.”
Now, he’s made this announcement against a backdrop of a much larger national conversation around protests and police responses to them. Even as state and local officials have mounted constitutional objections to deploying military resources domestically, their warnings underscore an important point. Here’s what Senator Rand Paul had to say about it. I would not have done it, …” — not under any former president — on Trump’s deployments of military personnel.
Trump’s military parade, currently in the planning stages, has generated equal parts excitement and concern. Our citizens have been waiting for this moment — and the Army’s milestone — with bated breath. Yet others express concern over either the potential for confrontation between protesters and police, or other negative results. The determination to use overwhelming force against demonstrators raises cause for alarm about civil liberties. It deeply confounds what is an appropriate military role in our domestic affairs.