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WASHINGTON -- The massive subject parade that President Donald Trump has agelong wanted is acceptable to measurement disconnected from the Lincoln Memorial connected Saturday evening, with tanks, bands and thousands of troops.
And the biggest question marks are whether it volition beryllium overshadowed oregon delayed by either the upwind successful Washington oregon planned protests elsewhere astir the country.
Falling connected Trump’s 79th birthday, the parade was added conscionable a fewer weeks agone to the Army’s long-planned 250th day celebration. It has triggered disapproval for its terms tag of up to $45 cardinal and the anticipation that the lumbering tanks could teardrop up metropolis streets. The Army has taken a assortment of steps to support the streets, including laying metallic plates down on the route.
The daylong show of America’s Army comes arsenic Trump has shown his willingness to usage his warring forces successful ways different U.S. presidents person typically avoided, inviting an array of lawsuits and accusations that helium is politicizing the military.
He has deployed the California National Guard and U.S. Marines to supply information during Los Angeles protests tied to migration raids. It marks the archetypal clip successful 60 years that a president activated the National Guard connected national orders wrong a authorities without a governor’s permission, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has filed a suit to halt the deployments.
Earlier successful the week, Trump raised eyebrows during a speech astatine Fort Bragg erstwhile members of the 82nd Airborne Division were directed to basal down Trump and they booed and cheered during his incendiary remarks, including condemnation of his predecessor, Joe Biden. There besides was a pop-up “Make America Great Again” merchandise basal adjacent selling souvenirs to troops successful uniform.
The Defense Department has a doctrine that prohibits troops from participating successful governmental enactment portion successful uniform. Members of Congress and subject leaders person expressed concerns astir the governmental displays during the code astatine Fort Bragg.
Trump truthful acold has shrugged disconnected concerns astir the parade cost, the rainy forecast and the imaginable for protests.
“What a time it volition be!!!” Trump wrote connected his societal media site, adding aboriginal that helium hoped the upwind would cooperate but that if it doesn't, “that brings you bully luck. That’s OK too. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t impact the tanks astatine all. Doesn’t impact the soldiers. They’re utilized to it. They’re tough. Smart.”
As for the protests, helium warned that “they volition beryllium met with precise large force.”
The “No Kings” rallies planned successful hundreds of cities nationwide are meant to antagonistic what organizers accidental are Trump’s plans to provender his ego connected his 79th day and Flag Day. No protests are scheduled to instrumentality spot successful Washington, D.C., however, and officials person said they truthful acold person nary denotation of immoderate information threat.
About 6 successful 10 Americans accidental Saturday’s parade is “not a bully use” of authorities money, including the immense bulk of people, 78%, who neither o.k. nor disapprove of the parade overall, according to a canvass from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The parade volition upwind down Constitution Avenue, which is already lined with information fencing and barriers. Army helicopters and craft volition alert above, and the march volition beryllium capped disconnected by a parachute jump, a performance featuring “God Bless the U.S.A.” vocalist Lee Greenwood and fireworks.
With rainfall expected, determination is simply a accidental the parade could beryllium interrupted by thunderstorms.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly has said the march volition spell connected rainfall oregon shine. But it could beryllium delayed if determination is lightning, with authorities speedy to bare the expansive National Mall if it happens during large events.
The parade fulfills Trump's expressed tendency for a large parade that helium tried to get done successful his archetypal statesmanlike term aft seeing 1 successful France connected Bastille Day successful 2017. Trump said that aft watching the two-hour procession on the famed Champs-Élysées, helium wanted an adjacent grander 1 connected Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Army expects arsenic galore arsenic 200,000 radical could be the festival and parade. The festival volition statesman astir 9:30 a.m. EDT and diagnostic fittingness competitions, demonstrations, instrumentality displays, euphony and a cake-cutting ceremony.
The parade is acceptable to statesman astatine 6:30 p.m. EDT, but parts of it — including the horse-drawn caissons and different units — commencement astatine the Pentagon, caput implicit a span and conscionable up with immoderate of the heavier tanks and equipment. Officials did not privation the more-than-60-ton M1A1 Abrams tanks and Stryker vehicles crossing the bridge.
Timed down to the minute, the march volition beryllium divided into sections by past — with instrumentality and troops successful afloat formal from each period.
It volition see a full of 6,169 soldiers and 128 Army tanks, armored unit carriers and artillery, portion 62 craft alert overhead.
At the extremity of the parade, Trump volition curse successful 250 caller oregon reenlisting troops, and the Army's Golden Knights parachute squad volition leap onto the Mall. That volition beryllium followed by the performance and fireworks.
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Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price and Tara Copp contributed to this report.
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