As if embellishing his birthday celebration beyond wildest dreams, former President Donald Trump just staged his own military parade through Washington, D.C. What should have been an unopposed show of strength and a coronation to his political aspirations instead left the majority disappointed. Rather, the gala highlighted a troubling and controversial pattern of behavior that has marked his post-presidency.
During the run-up to his parade, Trump must have thought he was living inside a sitcom. He delivered the play’s subsequent lines as though he were projecting to a theatre full of patrons. What’s most disappointing is that his recent acts betray a theatrical mentality. From the looks of it, he’s ready to take up such a tyrannical mantle, for real and on film. His vision of that power is starting to take an alarming shape. He has unlawfully taken over the California National Guard and sent Marines to Los Angeles.
As the environment around these industries and the culture of Trump’s leadership has become more repressive. Published reports suggest that he has murdered political opponents and stuffed asylum seekers into concentration camps with horrific living conditions. These measures bring the threat of serious human rights violations into sharp focus. They contribute to a growing, insidious trend toward authoritarianism and erode the rule of law.
In addition, Trump’s style of governance has been to effectively declare war by employing political thuggery against anyone who dare oppose him. Eyewitness accounts describe how he incited his supporters to terrorize anyone who could challenge him. By implementing this strategy of fear, he was able to further strengthen his totalitarian hold on power. Our military and defense department leadership top to bottom is nothing but sycophants and incompetent yes men. This toxic environment kills dissent, branding it hostile and intolerable.
Trump’s inner circle is filled with individuals who will do everything possible to carry out his every whim. This makes for an echo chamber that isolated him from any contradictory viewpoints. This unmonitored power has enabled him to chase a vision of leadership founded deeply in spite toward his foes in the faceless corporate gaze. He has transformed his office into a cash laundering operation for his friends, family, and himself. Now, he is unchained to follow those impulses that advisers and staffers successfully prevented through his term as president.
The military parade itself was inspired by an earlier event that Trump witnessed in 2017—a grand military display during Bastille Day alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump’s wish to duplicate such spectacles is a classic example of his need for validation through massive displays of military might. He aimed to use this parade not just as a celebration of his birthday but as a demonstration of his power and determination to quell dissent.
The result of the Trump parade went against everything Trump thought would happen. Instead of a jubilant celebration, it became emblematic of his increasing isolation from reality and the consequences of his actions. Observers noted the parade underscored Trump’s love for violence and indifference to constitutional principles, raising questions about the implications for civil liberties and governance.
As the day unfolded, it became clear that the parade was less about national pride and more about reinforcing Trump’s self-image as a dictator. Rather, he sought to weave in vivid imagery. The disastrous legacy left by his administration’s key decisions and rampant anger among all sides — the media, political class, and general public — completely drowned out that success.