Trump asked the Pentagon to start planning a military parade

“The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France.”

President Donald Trump likes a good show, whether it’s on a beauty pageant stage in Russia, or on his TV, or apparently, rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Trump, according to the Washington Post, requested that the Pentagon begin planning a military parade to take place later this year along the inaugural route between Capitol Hill and the White House (which happens to pass the Trump Hotel).

According to the Post, Trump was inspired by a 2017 visit to France for Bastille Day, which traditionally features a military parade.

“The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France,” said a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the planning discussions are supposed to remain confidential. “This is being worked at the highest levels of the military.”

A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed that the parade is in the planning stages:

Pentagon confirms WaPo scoop ON THE RECORD. “We are aware of the request and are looking at possible dates,” Charlie Summers, a Pentagon spokesman, just told reporters.

— HansNichols (@HansNichols) February 6, 2018

And the White House has also confirmed:

And, White House confirms. pic.twitter.com/vK6y0V6as4

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) February 7, 2018

This isn’t a new interest of Trump’s. The Huffington Post reported he also wanted military equipment and a flyover for his January 2017 inauguration parade.

At the time, the report launched takes that the parade wishes were more evidence of Trump’s threat to democracy and his authoritarian tendencies. The Post’s report Tuesday night raised a similar question: “Displays of missile launchers might evoke Pyongyang-style nationalism more than American patriotism.”

It’s no secret that Trump likes the campaigning part of politics, the show. During the 2016 campaign, he made sure big crowds saw his private plane land. He posed in front of stages lined with American flags. Tanks rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue might just be the next thing.

from Vox - All http://ift.tt/2BN0HIm