President Trump ordered 👉 controversial armed forces parade 👀 out of ‘affection' for military: Secretary Mattis

President Trump ordered 👉 controversial armed forces parade 👀 out of ‘affection' for military: Secretary Mattis

The Trump administration bulldozed ahead Wednesday with plans to throw a grand military parade on the President's request, ignoring bipartisan criticism that such a public demonstration of power is characteristic of authoritarian regimes like North Korea and China.

The White House dragged out Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to brief reporters on Trump's order to the Pentagon last month to start planning an armed forces parade through the streets of the nation's capital.

"We all know the President of the United States' affection for the military," Mattis said, arguing that Trump's parade request reflects his respect for the military.


Mattis, a retired U.S. Marine Corps general, declined to answer questions about how the parade would be paid for or when it would take place, adding that the Pentagon is actively "putting together some options." Mattis' answers did not quell a Congress-wide chorus of criticism, with both Republicans and Democrats lambasting Trump for acting like an autocratic ruler.

"I think confidence is silent and insecurity is loud," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told reporters. "America is the most powerful country in all of human history, everybody knows it, and we don't need to show it off …We're not North Korea, we're not Russia, and we're not China and I don't want to be. And for that reason I would be against flaunting our strength. We don't need to, everybody knows we have it."