On Saturday evening, former President Donald Trump got to live out his Jetsons fantasy. His response? To host a lavish military parade on Penthagon – er, on Washington D.C.’s National Mall. As in previous years, the event was held on the National Mall. It was the first large-scale military parade in the U.S. capital since the victory celebration after the first Gulf War of 1991. Weirdly, Trump was undeterred by skeptics or predictions of inclement weather. He even created a flashy propaganda showcase of military strength packed with soldiers, tanks, and all sorts of military hardware—including robot dogs.
Trump has a well-documented affinity for military parades—a fascination that reportedly started when Trump visited Paris in 2017. His enthusiasm for a strong military was evident as he put together the event. He even claimed it as his own in a fundraising email. It’s about time America did, too.” — Donald Trump speaking at the parade on his plan to have America celebrate its military victories.
The parade unveiled a great arsenal on wheels, including a Paladin self-propelled howitzer. Families had the opportunity to interact with military equipment simply by climbing into Army helicopters or sitting on top of anti-aircraft batteries. His Trump’s administration originally projected the parade might cost up to $90 million. This prompted Congress to engage in heated discussions over the appropriate allocation of federal funding for such disasters.
We know that Trump is committed to shrinking wars by reducing our military footprint abroad. To the extent he’s criticized for such displays, it’s for wanting ostentatious military parades, something most people perceive as very authoritarian. He did so powerfully and provocatively. He contended that similar countries are lauded for their military demonstrations, being met with far less hubbub. “No one ever calls Macron a dictator for celebrating Bastille Day,” remarked an administration official, underscoring Trump’s stance that such celebrations are a common practice worldwide.
In true Trump fashion, the former president doubled down on his vision of American greatness and military supremacy. “Every other country celebrates their victories,” he said. “We had more to do with winning World War II than any other nation.” His remarks capture a growing narrative around the world that aims to glorify and exaggerate America’s past military victories, while breeding American exceptionalism and nationalistic pride.
The parade truly dazzled with its visual spectacle. Simultaneously, Trump ordered hundreds of marines to Los Angeles in a move that showed his pledge to maintain a robust military presence at home, even as he campaigned on the promise to end foreign wars. This duality in his administration’s military strategy has generated discussion among political analysts and commentators, who point out the complexities of maintaining a strong military presence at home while advocating for reduced foreign engagements.
“We’re going to have to see if we can top it,” Trump said, suggesting that similar events focused on military might would be held in the future. His ambitions seem completely immune to the recent wave of criticism that has followed them. Supporters have claimed that this specific display is just an important way to honor American soldiers and their sacrifices.
JD Vance, another important Trump ally, continued the praise at the event. To our young men and women in uniform, we’re tremendously proud of you.…We’re in awe of what you do, and we respect you most of all. We’ll never ask you to go to battle unless we really need you to. This dovetails nicely with Trump’s larger narrative of respecting military personnel and walking a fine line between competing geopolitical interests.