The White House confirmed Tuesday night that President Trump has asked the Pentagon to arrange a grand military parade in Washington to showcase the pride and valor of U.S. armed forces, possibly on Independence Day.
“President Trump is incredibly supportive of America’s great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe,” said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “He has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation.”
The idea of soldiers and tanks rolling down the avenues of the nation’s capital came to Mr. Trump during a visit to Paris last year, when French President Emmanuel Macron treated his guest to a grand military parade. At a later meeting with Mr. Macron at the United Nations, Mr. Trump told reporters the French military parade impressed him.
“To a large extent because of what I witnessed, we may do something like that on July 4 in Washington down Pennsylvania Avenue,” he told reporters last September. “We’re actually looking into it.”
Washington has held large military displays to celebrate victories in war, but such parades have not been an annual tradition.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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