TRUMP WANTS A GRAND MILITARY PARADE
US PREZ ASKS PENTAGON TO PLAN A PARADE SIMILAR TO BASTILLE DAY IN PARIS
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump kicked off a new storm on Tuesday after he ordered the military to mount a parade similar in spectacle to the one he witnessed on Bastille Day in Paris in 2017.
Trump was so impressed with the parade that he couldn’t stop talking about it. He even told an amused French President Emmanuel Macron about it when they met next.
“We are aware of the request and are in the process of determining specific details,” a Pentagon spokesperson said.
“President Trump is incredibly supportive of America’s great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. He asked the defence department to explore a celebration “at which all Americans can show their appreciation”, she said.
No decision has been taken on the date or the route. However, Trump is known to have mentioned July 4 — America’s Independence Day — as an option.
The US doesn’t have anything like the Bastille Day parade, India’s Republic Day parade or the annual extravaganzas held in Beijing and Moscow.
The response to Trump’s call has been mixed.
Some military leaders called it an abysmal idea and said most American soldiers hate the idea of a parade. Others pointed to expenses and the fact that Washington’s asphalt roads might not withstand the weight of the 70-ton M1 Abram main battle tanks.
But Trump also found support, mostly from Republicans.