Donald Trump warned that those who come out to protest Saturday’s military parade, held on the same day as his 79th birthday, “will be met with very big force.”
“If there’s any protests that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. “…And I haven’t even heard about a protest, but, you know, this is people that hate our country. But they will be met with very heavy force.”
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Nationwide protests are being planned for Saturday in what is being organized as No Kings Day, with more than 1,500 events planned across the country.
Trump’s comments come after his decision to send 2,000 National Guard troops to respond to protests in Los Angeles over ICE’s immigration raids. On Monday, military officials announced that hundreds of Marines also will be deployed, while Governor Gavin Newsom said that an additional 2,000 National Guard troops have been ordered.
Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other local officials say that Trump’s sending of the military is an overreaction that has inflamed the situation. Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Trump administration, arguing that the president overstepped his authority.
The military parade will be held on Saturday evening in Washington, with plans for a show of fighter jets, helicopters, tanks and, per Axios, and even rocket launchers and missiles.
The purpose of the parade is to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Army, but Trump will have a reviewing stand on the Ellipse as the parade makes its way up Constitution Avenue.
The parade will cost $45 million, including as much as $16 million to repair streets, according to NBC News.
The costs are estimates, but some lawmakers, including Republicans, have questioned the expenditure. Per Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told reporters on Tuesday, “Never been a big fan of goose-stepping soldiers in big tanks and missiles rolling down the street.”
For the Army’s bicentennial on June 14, 1975, President Gerald Ford did not preside over a military parade but attended a ceremony at Fort Benning, GA. Ford started his speech by quipping about his recent stumble down the steps of Air Force One during a visit to Salzburg, Austria.
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The post Donald Trump Threatens That Any Protesters At Upcoming Military Parade “Will Be Met With Very Big Force” appeared first on Deadline.
