Saturday’s Army celebration in Washington, D.C., was likely almost everything President Donald Trump hoped for: troops and military equipment parading down streets for the first time since 1991.
But the event was overshadowed by massive protests against his administration, apparent political violence in Minnesota and ongoing unrest over his policies — none of which received a mention in Trump’s remarks.
Instead, he celebrated an event he has dreamed of for years. Supporters of the Army and of the president lined the streets and crowded the Washington monument to catch a glimpse of Abrams battle tanks, Apache attack helicopters and military personnel. The crowd appeared to fall short of estimates of as many as 200,000 attendees.