MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY ARE CURRENTLY IN THE BEGINNING
PHASES OF PLANNING FOR A MILITARY PARADE, SOMETHING
DONALD TRUMP CALLED FOR AFTER EXPERIENCING BASTILLE DAY IN
FRANCE.
AGAIN THIS IS IN ITS INFANCY, WE DON'T KNOW TOO MANY
DETAILS ABOUT HOW THIS PARADE WILL HAPPEN OR HOW MUCH IT WILL
COST, BUT RECENT ESTIMATES INDICATE WE WILL BE SPENDING
MILLIONS IN TAXPAYER MONEY TO FUND THIS RIDICULOUS PARADE.
TRUMP WANTS TO SHOWCASE SOME OF OUR ARTILLERY AND OTHER WEAPONS
AND MILITARY CAPABILITIES DURING THIS PARADE, AND WHAT WE KNOW SO
FAR IS THAT ONE OPTION BEING CONSIDERED IS TO HOLD THE PARADE
IN NOVEMBER IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ENDING OF WORLD WAR
I ON NOVEMBER 11, 1918.
BUT --
ALSO --
AGAIN THIS IS SOMETHING TRUMP HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR, AND NOW IT
APPEARS PEOPLE ARE TAKING HIM SERIOUSLY AND IT'S LIKELY TO
HAPPEN.
BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT THAT AREN'T PLEASED
ABOUT THIS AND I WANT YOU TO HEAR FROM THEM.
THERE WAS A
FUNNY EXCHANGE BETWEEN FOX NEWS MILITARY ANALYST COLONEL RALPH
PETERS AND FOX HOST BILL HEMMER, HEMMER SEEMS TO LOVE THE IDEA OF
THE PARADE AND HE THOUGHT THAT HEY, OUR MILITARY ANALYST WILL
LOVE IT TOO, RIGHT?
WE WILL HONOR OUR TROOPS.
NOT SO MUCH.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE IDEA TO GO AHEAD AND SHOW OFF THE
AMERICAN MIGHT, PERHAPS EVEN DOWN PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE?
THE FRENCH MARCH WELL, WE FIGHT WELL.
TAKE YOUR PICK.
IF
WE WANT TO HONOR OUR TROOPS AND SUPPORT THEM, PAST THE DEFENSE
BUDGET.
GIVES THEM THE TOOLS AND FUNDING THEY NEED.
I UNDERSTAND
THE PRESIDENT CAN BE INFATUATED WITH THE MILITARY REGALIA AND
TRAPPINGS.
IT'S VERY SEDUCTIVE.
BUT WE HAVE A DIFFERENT
TRADITION HERE.
WHEN WE DO HAVE MILITARY PARADES, WE HONOR THE
TROOPS, IT FOCUSES ON THE HUMAN ELEMENT, NOT HEAVY METAL WAR
MACHINES ROLLING DOWN THE STREETS OF AMERICAN CITIES.
AND
BY THE WAY BILL, IF YOU WANT TO STAGE A HUGE PARADE YOU ARE
TAKING TROOPS AWAY FROM THEIR TRAINING, THROWING AWAY THE
TRAINING SCHEDULES, IT'S EXPENSIVE, THE MONEY CAN BE
BETTER SPENT ELSEWHERE.
I ENJOYED THAT.
I ENJOYED THE HONESTY, AND HE'S RIGHT.
THIS IS
A WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY.
IT'S ALSO WHAT DICTATORIAL REGIMES DO.
CAN I SPEAK TO THAT?
SENATOR JOHN KENNEDY, NOT THE ORIGINAL
ONE, CURRENTLY OF LOUISIANA, SAID THIS TODAY ON THE MILITARY
PARADE, CONFIDENCE IS SILENT, INSECURITIES ARE LOUD.
AND HE'S
A REPUBLICAN.
WHEN YOU ARE THE MOST POWERFUL NATION IN HUMAN
HISTORY YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOW IT OFF LIKE RUSSIA DOES, LIKE
NORTH KOREA AND CHINA.
WHICH IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
IT'S AN EASTERN BLOC MOVE, IT'S A MOVE OF INSECURE
DICTATORS.
WE'VE SEEN IT IN FASCIST REGIMES, IT'S AWFUL.
AND
EVERYBODY MUST KNOW THIS, EVEN THE PENTAGON, WHICH IS
SUPPOSEDLY, AS ANA SAID, IN THE PRIMORDIAL OOZE OF PUTTING IT
TOGETHER, THEY KNOW IT'S A COLOSSAL WASTE.
BUT REMEMBER,
THIS IS COMING FROM A PRESIDENT WHO LOVES TO WASTE TAXPAYER
MONEY.
HE GOES TO MAR-A-LAGO WHICH COSTS A FORTUNE, HE GOES
TO NEW YORK WHICH COSTS A FORTUNE, HIS WIFE STAYS IN NEW
YORK WHICH COSTS A FORTUNE -- WHO DOESN'T LOVE A PARADE BUT
SORRY, THIS IS LUDICROUS.
BILL HEMMER DIDN'T LIKE THE ANSWER HE RECEIVED FROM THEIR
OWN MILITARY ANALYST, AND HE TRIED TO PUSH BACK AGAINST WHAT
WAS SAID.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS EXCHANGE.
IF YOU WATCH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA REPORTING
THE STORY YOU KNOW WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT?
THEY HAVE MILITARY
PARADES IN MOSCOW, NORTH KOREA, SUGGESTING THAT'S THE WHOLE
IDEA.
THE IDEA CAME FROM THE FRENCH LAST YEAR.
LET'S BE FAIR
ABOUT THAT, COLONEL.
VICE OF COURSE WE WILL BE FAIR ABOUT IT
BUT THEY ARE RIGHT THAT THE PEOPLE WHO PARADE WEAPONS ARE
THE NORTH KOREANS, ARE THE RUSSIANS.
TO US --
THIS IS NOT TO PARADE WEAPONS, AS IF IT'S SOME SORT OF
OFFENSIVE GESTURE, THIS IS RED, WHITE, AND BLUE.
BILL, I WAS IN THE MILITARY FOR 22 YEARS, ENLISTED MAN AND
OFFICER.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, I VALUE OUR TRADITION OF CIVILIAN
CONTROL OF THE MILITARY, THE MILITARY BEING REPRESENTATIVE OF
OUR SOCIETY, NOT APART FROM IT.
I RESPECT THE COLONEL'S STATEMENTS BECAUSE HE'S NOT
GOING ALONG WITH WHAT THOSE ON THE RIGHT ARE SAYING ABOUT IT,
HE'S PUSHING BACK, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO THAT.
THIS
SOUNDS LOOK A FUNNY STORY ON THE SURFACE, BUT I'M GENUINELY
CONCERNED WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING IN CONTEXT.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER TRUMP'S STATEMENTS REGARDING
DEMOCRATS REFUSING TO CLAP AND STAND DURING THE STATE OF THE
UNION AND HOW HE SAID THAT QUALIFIES AS TREASON.
HIS
RHETORIC, THE THINGS HE'S SUPPORTIVE OF, THE THINGS HE
PUSHES FOR, I FEEL LIKE TAKE THE COUNTRY BACK SIGNIFICANTLY AND
PUT US IN SCARY TERRITORY, LIKE AUTHORITARIAN REGIME TERRITORY.
THAT HE IS ATTRACTED TO THIS STUFF IS AMAZING.
THIS IS BEYOND
THE PARADE, THIS IS A MILITARY PARADE, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
AND I
LOOKED ALL DAY LONG FOR DONALD TRUMP COMMENTS ON THE PUERTO
RICO DAY PARADE IN NEW YORK OVER THE YEARS WHICH HAS ALWAYS
CAUSED CONSTERNATION WITH PEOPLE ON FIFTH AVENUE, WHERE THE
PUERTO RICANS MARCH UP AND DOWN AND EVERYONE ON FIFTH AVENUE
COMPLAINTS, I WAS LOOKING FOR SOME GREAT NUGGET OF HOW DONALD
TRUMP THINKS THERE SHOULDN'T BE A PARADE, AND TO HIS FAIRNESS I
COULDN'T FIND THAT NUGGET -- BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU, THIS IS NOT
JUST A PARADE, IN MY INSTINCT, IT IS THE GOOSE-STEPPING, IT'S
THE WEAPONS, IT'S EVOCATIVE OF THE WORST OF THE WORST AND I'M
GLAD THAT SOME REAL CONSERVATIVES ARE FINDING IT
THAT WAY TOO.
AND LOOK, LET'S BE HONEST ABOUT THIS -- DONALD TRUMP WANTS
TO THROW A PARTY FOR HIMSELF, THAT IS THROWN BY THE MILITARY.
WHICH HE'S WRAPPED HIMSELF IN TO CREATE THIS PATINA OF
PATRIOTISM.
WE KNOW THAT REAL PATRIOTISM COMES WITH OTHER
STUFF.
BUT THAT IS WHAT THIS IS, IT'S A PARTY THROWN BY DONALD
TRUMP'S MILITARY FOR DONALD TRUMP, BUT EVEN HIS MILITARY I
BELIEVE DOESN'T WANT THIS.
WHO WAS THE DRUMMER IN PATINA OF PATRIOTISM?
THAT WAS MY HIGH SCHOOL BAND.
EVEN BRIAN KILMEADE IS AGAINST THIS PARADE, HE THINK IT'S A
WASTE OF MONEY, AND THERE ARE CONSERVATIVES WHO ARE AGAINST
IT, BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO THINK OF THOSE ON THE RIGHT
IN FAVOR OF THIS, SHOWING OFF WEAPONRY, WHEN THEY ARE SO
AGAINST FUNDING ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS BECAUSE WHO CARES
ABOUT AMERICAN CITIZENS.
OR EVEN FUNDING PROGRAMS FOR MILITARY VETS WHO HAVE RECORD
SUICIDE RATES, RECORD OPIATE PROBLEMS.
THIS IS A GROUP OF
PEOPLE WHO COULD USE THAT MONEY, AND THEY COULD USE IT NOT
IN THE FORM OF A PARADE, THEY COULD USE IT IN THE FORM OF
TREATING THOSE ISSUES.
THAT IS WHAT THE COLONEL SAID, FUND THE MILITARY, FUND THIS
BUDGET.