WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Eight years after President was dazzled by a grand military parade down the Champs-脡lys茅es in Paris, he is finally getting a chance to try to top the spectacle.
His long-delayed dream is expected to be realized Saturday with an extravaganza of American military might featuring tanks and other armored vehicles rolling through the nation鈥檚 capital, thousands of soldiers marching the streets and military aircraft flying overhead. In a final flourish, an elite parachute team is to jump from above the White House, land near Trump and hand him an American flag.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be great,鈥� Trump said this week. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to celebrate our country for a change.鈥�
For Trump, a media-attuned real estate developer who was a reality television star and beauty pageant owner, it鈥檚 a chance to flex his skills as a showman. But the muscular display of military might also comes as Trump is increasingly flexing the powers of his office, including with the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to respond to over his immigration crackdown.
The Republican president鈥檚 desire for a grand military parade was scuttled in his first term over concerns about the high cost for the event. This time around, he is barreling past objections just like the tanks that will roll down Constitution Avenue.
Trump has dismissed concerns about the cost, about what message the display of military power sends and about the fact that it will take place on his 79th birthday.
One potential obstacle the president can鈥檛 control is the weather. There鈥檚 a chance the parade could be interrupted by thunderstorms. The White House has said it will go on rain or shine, but it could be delayed by lightning.
Trump said Thursday night that he hopes the weather is OK but if it鈥檚 not, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 OK too.鈥�
鈥淒oesn鈥檛 matter,鈥� he said at the White House. 鈥淒oesn鈥檛 affect the tanks at all. Doesn鈥檛 affect the soldiers. They鈥檙e used to it.鈥�
Parade plans emerge after joining Army bash, donors defraying costs
The parade was initially conceived as a July 4 event, but Trump found occasion this year to add it onto a long-planned celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army that coincides with Flag Day and Trump鈥檚 birthday.
鈥淭his parade will honor all of the military men and women who have bravely served our country, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom,鈥� White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. 鈥淣o event can fully capture our gratitude for those who have worn the uniform, but this grand parade will ensure our veterans and active-duty service members are recognized with the respect and magnificence they deserve.鈥�
The White House has not offered details about when and how the administration first began pushing this year to turn Trump鈥檚 parade vision into reality, but the president has been briefed regularly on its progress and made suggestions about details of the plans, according to press secretary .
Private donations from companies like Lockheed Martin, Amazon and UFC are helping defray some of the costs, but the government still is expected to spend $25 million to $45 million.
the high cost at a time when the administration has been pushing for deep spending cuts throughout the government.
Defense officials and the White House have justified the cost as a worthy expense to pay tribute to service members and inspire patriotism, and Trump has called it 鈥渁 great expenditure.鈥�
'We鈥檙e going to have to try and top it'
Outside of wartime, there isn't much of a tradition of military parades in the U.S., with some critics likening the planned pageantry to the jingoistic displays seen in North Korea.
But Trump鈥檚 inspiration was the 2017 Bastille Day procession he attended in France, which he declared at the time to be 鈥渕agnificent鈥� and 鈥渙ne of the greatest parades I have ever seen.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to try and top it,鈥� he said then.
With the parade now set to occur on his 79th birthday, Trump said he is 鈥渢aking a little heat鈥� over the overlapping occasions. But he said the festivities are meant to celebrate the Army and Flag Day, not his birthday.
His imprint Saturday will be clear, though.
Trump requested aircraft and military equipment that capture the might of the military, according to the White House. He is expected to view the synchronized flyovers, along with the processions of tanks, historical reenactments and marching soldiers, from a special reviewing stand.
Toward the end of the day's events, he is set to deliver remarks during a nationally televised ceremony capped by fireworks.
One of Trump's favorite musical acts, 鈥� is on tap to perform. Greenwood鈥檚 song is one of the president's preferred walk-on tunes at events. The singer has performed in person at campaign rallies, and Trump even partnered with Greenwood on for $59.99.
Protests expected to counter the military show
Though the president has blown past the logistical and financial barriers that stopped his parade in the past, the pageantry still is expected to draw pushback.
With predictions of as many as 200,000 attendees, the Secret Service is preparing for protests by erecting 18 miles of anti-scale fencing and deploying drones to the city鈥檚 skies to keep watch.
Multiple protests to counter the event were being planned, including a march to the White House. Immigration-related clashes between protesters and law enforcement in Los Angeles have spread to other cities this week and heightened the possibility of tensions in the Washington area.
The president this week said that if protesters show up at the parade, 鈥渢hey will be met with very big force.鈥�
It was not clear what he meant by that remark, but it added to the alarm of critics who claim the and the planned lavish display of militarism smack of authoritarian politics.
Organizers of are planning demonstrations around the country Saturday to counter an event they contend is meant to feed Trump鈥檚 ego.
鈥淭he flag doesn鈥檛 belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,鈥� the 鈥淣o Kings鈥� website says.
But they鈥檙e not planning to hold an event in Washington.
Instead, their flagship event will be in Philadelphia, and organizers said they hope to draw attention away from what they paint as a strongman spectacle designed for Trump鈥檚 birthday, like a king.
Trump laughed off the idea Thursday.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel like a king,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have to go through hell to get stuff approved.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Chris Megerian contributed to this report.
Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
