‘We May Do Something Like That on July Fourth in Washington Down Pennsylvania Avenue’
President Donald Trump sat down with France’s President Emmanuel Macron and in front of the cameras announced he wants to hold a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to show off America’s might.
It is a chilling concept, even for an authoritarian like Trump.
“I was your guest at Bastille Day, and it was one of the greatest parades I’ve ever seen,†Trump told Macron on Monday at the UN. “It was two hours on the button, and it was military might and, I think, a tremendous thing for France and the spirit of France.â€
“To a large extent because of what I witnessed, we may do something like that on July Fourth in Washington down Pennsylvania Avenue,†Trump added. Macron laughed.
This is not the first time Trump has said he wanted to hold a military parade – he wanted his inauguration to include one as well. He also told The Washington Post he wanted to have several military parades, to display America’s military might.
“Being a great president has to do with a lot of things, but one of them is being a great cheerleader for the country,†Trump said in January. “And we’re going to show the people as we build up our military, we’re going to display our military.â€
This would not be the first military parade the U.S. has held, but there has not been one in D.C. in decades – not since 1991.
At the time it was roundly condemned.
“The elaborate celebration, which cost $12 million, drew scattered protests from critics, who said that it glorified militarism,” the LA Times reported. “And the turnout for the parade–estimated at 200,000 by U.S. Park Police–was far below predictions of 1 million or more spectators.”
Here’s how people on Twitter responded Monday:
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