Trump on Tuesday warned against demonstrations against that parade, telling reporters, “they’re going to be met with very big force”. The FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department have said there are no credible threats to the event.
The week’s Army commemorations combine Trump’s penchant for patriotic pomp and his political positioning as a law-and-order president. Saturday’s celebrations in Washington include thousands of troops, dozens of military aircraft and coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday.
The Army was established on Jun 14, 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence.
Earlier this year, Trump restored the name Fort Bragg to the base, one of the largest in the world, despite a federal law that prohibits honouring generals who fought for the South during the Civil War. His administration says the name now honours a different Bragg – Private First Class Roland Bragg, who served during World War Two. In 2023, the base had been renamed Fort Liberty, a change driven by racial justice protests.
