“If anyone is still wondering whether or not America is slipping toward authoritarianism, Saturday’s military parade will signal to the world that we’ve firmly arrived,” said Markus Batchelor, political director at People For the American Way.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump will hold an unprecedented military parade on his 79th birthday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. On that same day, nearly 2,000 organized “No Kings” protests will take place across the country in opposition to Trump and what critics call his authoritarian agenda.
While the Trump White House is billing the military parade as an opportunity to mark a major milestone and the history of the U.S. Army, Democrats and activists say the symbolism of nearly 6,700 soldiers and dozens of tanks rolling through the streets of Washington, D.C., mirrors images seen in countries run by dictators.
“If anyone is still wondering whether or not America is slipping toward authoritarianism, Saturday’s military parade will signal to the world that we’ve firmly arrived,” said Markus Batchelor, political director at People For the American Way, a progressive advocacy group.
Referring to Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles amid protests against his policies, Batchelor told theGrio, “At the same time Trump is sending active duty military to crush free speech, detaining Americans without due process, and cutting critical services for veterans, the elderly, and the poor, he’s spending hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars and grounding flights at National Airport to put on a sick, insecure display in celebration of his birthday.”
Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright told theGrio that Trump’s massive parade—which will reportedly cost between $25 and $45 million—is setting a “dangerous precedent.”
“This parade is not about celebrating the U.S. Army, but celebrating the army of Trump and Trumpism,” said Seawright. “We’ve seen this kind of activity before in history, and so I think it’s very reflective of a time period in world history with the style of leadership that I don’t think anyone in this country would ever believe that we would be having to see this in real time in America.”
Trump has long expressed a desire to use the U.S. military as a political tool–something that for centuries has been rejected by U.S. presidents since the country’s founding. In 2020, when mass Black Lives Matter protests emerged across the country, Trump reportedly asked military leadership to “shoot them in the legs” because the groundswell of uprisings made him look “weak.”
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Kamala Harris, then the Democratic nominee and vice president, attempted to warn voters about the dangers of Trump’s use of the military if elected for a second term after his former Chief of Staff, John Kelly, claimed that Trump expressed wanting to have a military like Adolf Hitler.
“Donald Trump said that because he does not want a military that is loyal to the United States Constitution–he wants a military that is loyal to him,” said Harris at the time. “One that will obey his orders, even when he tells them to break the law or abandon their oath to the Constitution.
Those concerned with Trump’s military parade fear it is yet another example of Trump flirting with authoritarianism and a broader aim of using militarism to suppress free speech and enforce his agenda, whether legal or not.
About 1,800 protests, dubbed “No Kings” demonstrations, are planned around the country in opposition to Trump, his policies, and his elaborate display during Saturday evening’s parade.
“Trump is hoping to make himself and his parade the center of the universe on Saturday. He’s looking to scare Americans into believing there’s no stopping him. It won’t work,” said Batchelor, who said “America doesn’t do Kings.”
“Hundreds of thousands are gathering in cities and towns across America to resist this totalitarian display and recommit to fighting the daily attack Trump is waging on freedom,” he added.
U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, noted during a Thursday press conference the irony of Trump’s parade billed as a celebration of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.
“The United States Army was formed in order to depose a king and to push back against the conditions that were being inflicted on the American people at the time by the British monarchy and King George,” recalled Jeffries. “I think what you’ll see across the country is people validate the principle that in America…there are no kings, there are no monarchs, there aren’t dictators. We have a democracy.”
Jeffries said he expects to see “peaceful” demonstrations against Trump and his policies, which include mass deportations and major cuts to health care and other social services. He hopes the protests will be “in the spirit of our civil rights heroes and great leaders like John Lewis with righteous indignation.”
When asked about the “No Kings” protests against his presidency, Trump told reporters on Friday, “I don’t feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get stuff approved,” adding, “No, no, we’re not a king. We’re not a king at all.”
On the contrary, Seawright reminds people that in addition to the actions Trump has already taken, like using the power of the presidency to dictate the policies of universities, businesses, and even law firms, Trump previously expressed a desire to be a dictator on “day one” of his administration.
“We’re starting to see that through his executive action and government overreach,” said the Democratic strategist. “The diverse peaceful demonstrations that I hope will take place across the country should send a message that people are not going to just take things being jammed down our throats; things that are going to be detrimental to the American experiment and our communities.”
He added, “It’s an opportunity for us to get out to organize and get ready for the next electoral fight because all this has to be centered back to electoral progress.”
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Originally sourced via trusted media partner. https://thegrio.com/2025/06/13/trumps-military-parade-birthday-dangerous-precedent-black-leaders-warn/
