President Donald Trump is finally nearing the fulfillment of a dream that he’s had since his first term in office: a lavish military parade that proceeds through the streets of Washington.
NBC News reports the parade will be “to commemorate Flag Day,” and will also mark the Army’s 250th birthday on June 14. As it happens, that’s also the president’s birthday, though Trump told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker that the “big, beautiful” parade is “not necessarily” about his birthday. But, he said, “It’s a very important day.”
Trump throwing a party for himself with jets and tanks parading down Constitution Avenue will be a wasteful, infrastructure-destroying display of jingoism.
Regardless of the exact significance of the date, Trump throwing a party for himself with jets and tanks parading down Constitution Avenue will be a wasteful, infrastructure-destroying display of jingoism with authoritarian undertones, as well as a pithy summary of Trump’s presidential vision. That Trump is succeeding in staging this ceremony in his second term instead of his first also seems apropos, given how his second term so far has been defined by more baldly despotic stunts and policies.
In 2018, Trump was bowled over by Bastille Day celebrations during a visit to France. “It was one of the greatest parades I’ve ever seen,” Trump told reporters after the event. “It was two hours on the button, and it was military might.” He also said to French President Emmanuel Macron: “We’re going to have to try to top it.”
Trump reportedly sought to emulate the French celebration in Washington after he returned home. But several months later Trump gave up on his vision, citing high costs. The New York Times reported at the time, “Several administration officials described a sort of sticker shock after seeing a Pentagon estimate that soared as high as $92 million to pay for the troops, fighter jets, armored vehicles and other military hardware that would be mustered to satisfy the president’s dream of displaying American might.” City officials at the time also objected that tanks rolling through the streets would damage the roads.
But this time around, Trump seems to be getting what he wants. When Welker asked about the price tag, Trump declined to name a number and said, “Peanuts compared to the value of doing it.”
“We have the greatest missiles in the world,” he said. “We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we’re going to celebrate it.”
Defense officials told NBC News that the estimated cost could be as high as $45 million. That’s about half of the cost estimated for the first parade, but still a huge amount of money. NBC News also reports the event is expected to include over 6,000 soldiers, 50 aircraft and 150 military vehicles, including tanks, trucks and Humvees. (In April, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said of the proposed march: “If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads.”)
As Trump and his DOGE workers take a chainsaw to agencies that deliver Social Security, tax revenue and foreign aid in the name of efficiency, the president’s view appears to be that the “value” of a display of military supremacy and jingoism, all conducted as he looks on approvingly, is priceless. The vibes will be far closer to a Russian military parade than a Bastille Day celebration of national unity and democracy — which seems fitting for Trump’s imperial presidency.
