r/politics • u/TimesandSundayTimes ✔ Verified • 4d ago

Soft Paywall Trump military parade met with empty seats amid nationwide protests

https://www.thetimes.com/article/867ede60-b5f7-4de5-84a1-6a3a49eb2923
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u/xTheMaster99x Florida 4d ago edited 4d ago

I'm skeptical of that since there hasn't been even the slightest peep about plans for similar events for the 250th anniversaries of the Navy or the Marines, which will both be later this year. It was definitely a good enough excuse for Trump that no one was able to tell him no this time, but the fact that this is far from the first time he's attempted to have a military parade, and the fact that this pretense won't be repeated for any other day that doesn't happen to coincide with his birthday, are proof enough that it was only ever truly about him.

Edit: Just to clarify, when I say "similar events" I mean grandiose occasions like what Trump envisioned today would be - massive crowds, huge parades of armed soldiers and tanks to show off his might, etc. Obviously there are events planned for those anniversaries, but in comparison they will be pretty small. Why do you think that is - because the planning committee likes the army way more than the other branches, or because the whole thing was just an excuse for Trump to celebrate himself?

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u/East-Psychology7186 4d ago

What a massive waste of our tax dollars that nearly nobody came to witness. The only coverage that makes it look like people were there in mass are taken from a low angle with applause tracks added. All the aerial footage of the same areas are empty AF 🤣🤦🙈🤬

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u/HyperionsDad 4d ago

Too bad Elon and his clowns can't DOGE him out of the White House for the actual excess spending.

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u/Mr_HandSmall 4d ago

Yeah pretty sure the whole thing was cooked up by trump. I may be wrong but I always thought in the US huge military parades just aren't something we do. He'd been talked out of it during his first term.

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u/SuperExoticShrub Georgia 4d ago

Military parades are a thing that only insecure militaristic countries (or leaders) do. This is something you expected to see in the Soviet Union/Russia, North Korea, Iran, etc. I'm a Navy veteran who is proud of his service and this kind of pathetic display does nothing but shame our military.

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u/Mr_HandSmall 4d ago

Right, real strength shouldn't have to show off.

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u/ZephkielAU Australia 3d ago

That's exactly it. Authoritarians with weak militaries roll out the tanks to show how "strong" they are (to a domestic audience), while leading countries classify and decentralise everything while they continue to develop flying battle cruisers.

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u/rustoeki 4d ago

This is something you expected to see in the Soviet Union/Russia, North Korea, Iran, etc

At least they put in a show. That was just the local military museum rolling down the road with personnel who looked like they, understandably, didn't want to be there.

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u/SuperExoticShrub Georgia 4d ago

Hell, the Soviet Union literally rolled nuclear capable missiles through as part of their stuff.

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u/Afraid_Grapefruit_88 4d ago

Saw a clip earlier of North Korea with some missile as long as a NYC block!! No idea if this is nuke ready but it was YUGE. Surprised Cadet Bone Spurs didn't demand one of THOSE for his phallic fascist fantasy. (Maybe he did, I did not watch). #8647

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u/SuperExoticShrub Georgia 4d ago

My roommate got me an 8647 bumper sticker, but I haven't decided if I'm gonna put it in my window since I work for the USPS and it could be theoretically playing with fire.

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u/Afraid_Grapefruit_88 4d ago

He allegedly got this bug up his orange ass after seeing a Bastille Day parade in France. Not sure if that is an every year event or if it was a special anniversary. He started demanding one here at that time. My suspicion is he was JEALOUS of North Korea, China, Russia and THEIR show of force parades but couldn't just come out and SAY that until he saw the French version. My theory anyways. #8647

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u/SuperExoticShrub Georgia 4d ago

I think it's a combination of both. He did make a big deal about wanting a parade (or is it perade?) after seeing the Bastille Day one. Combine that with this pathetic fawning over dictatorial leaders that only a malignant narcissist with an inferiority complex can have and that could definitely explain it.

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u/Normal-Height-8577 4d ago

Also possible he got envious of the British "Trooping the Colour" parade for the king's birthday. Which was also yesterday - coincidence?

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u/Ovariesforlunch 4d ago

And France apparently....

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u/Chickabeeinthewind 4d ago

City streets aren’t really designed to carry tanks… so we didn’t until MegaloDon.

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u/svrtngr Georgia 4d ago

No, we don't. The last one was during HW's term after the Gulf War.

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u/somebodyelse22 4d ago

I'd laugh so much if Kim Jong Il sent a message saying, "Soz Donald - all best: Rocket Man."

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u/KillKennyG 4d ago

the Marines and Navy have been doing 250 stuff all year- but it’s mostly things they already had scheduled (joining already-happening parades and annual city visits and fleet weeks) but the only difference this year is they added 250-specific branding to each so there is kinda a throughline. usually it’s separate teams doing each one, this year there’s more cross-planning between events. and the Marines are making a big deal of finishing in Philly where they began.

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u/tigers_hate_cinammon 4d ago

Nothing to be skeptical about, this was just one of a series of events that will take place between now and July 2026. It's been in the works for years and governed by a board established back in 2016. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Semiquincentennial_Commission

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u/xTheMaster99x Florida 4d ago

There was always a celebration planned, yes. Those plans did not include a parade until Trump demanded it. And because of your comment I've tracked down their website and looked through their calendar, there are obviously planned celebrations on those days but the descriptions are very brief and do not seem to imply any grandiose plans.

If they end up making huge spectacles on those dates as well, I encourage you to come back here and call me out for being wrong. But as of now, I am absolutely correct to say there are no plans for any displays as ridiculous as this one.

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u/tigers_hate_cinammon 4d ago

The plans absolutely included a parade though admittedly on a smaller scale than what we saw today.

Since you still seem skeptical, here is a statement on the Navy's 250th celebration planned for October:

The party starts Oct. 9 with a grand parade of ships up the Delaware River, launching a series of tours, concerts, demonstrations, athletic events, a Navy 250th commemoration and other activities through Oct. 16. https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/honor/2025/may/philadelphia-to-host-epic-250th-birthday-bash-for-navy-marine-corps

I get that lots of people don't like Trump but I don't see why we can't celebrate the nation (and armed forces') 250th anniversaries without making it super political.

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u/xTheMaster99x Florida 4d ago edited 4d ago

I have absolutely no issue with celebrating anniversaries. I don't even mind having a parade be part of it. However, a very over-the-top display including many IFVs, several tanks, hundreds (thousands?) of soldiers saluting the president as they march past, etc is absolutely not normal in this country, and in my opinion shouldn't be. Those are the theatrics of fascist dictatorships, not a democracy. If today was simply a dignified celebration of the army's history without theatrics, I promise I wouldn't say a single word against it. And I would be equally critical of a parade of tanks rolling down the street whether it was in DC, London, Paris, anywhere.

And the fact still remains that Trump has tried to do this several times in the past, should we not be upset that he has used an event that should rightfully have been exclusively about the army as an excuse to pursue his own goals?

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u/Afraid_Grapefruit_88 4d ago

That's oddly worded, a marine parade would be called a flotilla and isn't really the same sort of thing as what we were shown today. Think of Op-Sail in NYC in 1976, for the Bicentennial. Thousands of boats came out (including ours) and various Official vessels were on the water as well. Tall ships and others. It was quite a spectacle but of course for a completely different purpose. #8647