Big Parade?

We think President Trump has a praiseworthy idea

President Donald Trump was impressed with a military parade he saw this summer on Bastille Day in Paris. So much so he would like something along the same lines—only bigger and grander, of course— right here in our nation’s capital.

There are no firm plans for such a parade. According to the Washington Post, which broke the story, there isn’t even a set date, though the president would like to have it coincide with a patriotic holiday.

But that hasn’t stopped the left from going on the attack. To read many of the stories and listen to the talking heads you would think President Trump is trying to stage a coup and have himself declared king. They paint pictures akin to Hitler’s Nuremberg Rally or the old films of Soviet officials in fur hats waving at endless columns of marching troops and mechanized weaponry.

In other words, wanting a military parade automatically makes you a wannabe dictator, either fascist or communist—the pundits can’t seem to make up their minds.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a prepared statement that the president simply supports the troops and “has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation.”

President Trump has always been prone to grand gestures. He thinks big and likes to make an impact. And, yes, he has an ego and no doubt would be at center stage should this parade come off. But we don’t see anything sinister about this. Indeed, in our view it seems like a pretty darn good idea. One thing the country remains united on is respect for our servicemen and women. A big parade in their honor might bring us all together, at least for a few hours.

That’s something we could use these days. And if the left could get past the idea that President Trump is behind it, they might feel the same way.