It was always going to be a depressing, disgusting spectacle, but Trump’s inauguration reportedly could have been a lot worse.
According to sources inside the inauguration preparations, Team Trump had suggested the military bring “heavy military equipment” such as tanks and missile launchers to the inaugural parade.
“They were legit thinking Red Square/North Korea-style parade,” the source said, referring to massive military parades in Moscow and Pyongyang, typically seen as an aggressive display of muscle-flexing.
The military staffers immediately shot down the idea as certifiably insane.
The military, which traditionally works closely with the presidential inaugural committee, shot down the request, the source said. Their reason was twofold. Some were concerned about the optics of having tanks and missile launchers rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue. But they also worried that the tanks, which often weigh over 100,000 pounds, would destroy the roads.
Not only is D.C. built on a literal swamp and therefore would struggle to accommodate the heavy vehicles, but the idea of a man who has already shown fascistic tendencies prior to ever stepping foot in office being given military equipment in a show of force cleaves a bit too close to some of the most notorious despots in history. Adolf Hitler was a big fan of displays of military force. As is Kim-Jong Un.
The Russians, of which Trump often takes his cues, are big fans of military parades - and they were even more so when the country was still the center of the authoritarian regime known as the USSR.
As the anonymous military staffers noted to Trump’s staffers, the optics would have been horrendous.
Trump was probably disappointed though. Just a few days ago, he was bragging to the Washington Post that Americans may be seeing the military “come marching down Pennsylvania Avenue” and promised jets buzzing the tops of skyscrapers in New York City (his de facto capital). Like fascistic leaders before him, Trump seems to intuitively believe that might makes the man. The display of power fits right into his image-first worldview.
Trump’s exploitation of the military marks a stark difference to previous, more self-assured presidents. As the Huffington Post reports:
Military flyovers are not typically part of inaugural parades. Outgoing President Barack Obama did not use any military aircraft at either of his inaugurations, the Defense Department official said. There were no flyovers at President George W. Bush’s 2005 inauguration, but he did have a flyover during his 2001 opening ceremony, which occurred two days before the inauguration.
To find a fly over, you need to go back to President Harry Truman - who had just won World War II. One might say it was a bit different than a grifter who just bumbled his way into the White House, has almost no idea what he’s doing, and hopes to use military power to shock and awe his way beyond reproach.
Featured image via Joe Raedle/Getty Images
