Featured Image Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/C-Span
Topics: Donald Trump, Social Media, Politics, US News
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Madison Burgess
Topics: Donald Trump, Social Media, Politics, US News
Donald Trump’s military parade, which took place on Saturday (14 June), has been making headlines and sparking conversation online - but for all the wrong reasons.
The multi-million dollar bash was to celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary with a parade in Washington DC.
Coincidentally, it also fell on the American president’s 79th birthday, and he was joined by his wife Melania and other members of his administration as they watched from the sidelines.
However, the parade, which according to Reuters cost a whopping $45 million, seemingly didn’t draw the numbers Trump expected.
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The event was the first of its kind in America since 1991, and over 6,600 soldiers were joined by tanks and robot dogs as they marched down Constitution Avenue.
But clips and photos on social media show empty bleachers and seats, rather than the packed-out crowd the president had perhaps envisioned.
One person took to Twitter to share a video of the soldiers marching next to the crowd from a different angle, which was looking a little sparse.
Not holding back, they wrote: “So, Trump’s “look at me” parade flopped. Another epic waste of OUR tax payer dollars.”
Rushing to the replies, other social media users added: “Holy sh**. The seats really are empty! I didn’t know it was this bad” and “Couldn't fill the seats”.
Someone else simply penned: “major flop,” with another Twitter user claiming: “US troops look disheartened ... how sad .. for him to treat them like this .. watch him complain later …”
Another chimed in with: “From experience they were hardly marching but walking in unison. You could see the majority of them were appalled to be there”.
“I love that there’s nobody there and nobody gives a sh**,” penned someone else, while another user chimed in with: “They are not in sync. That is pathetic.”
Someone even pointed out that nationwide 'No Kings' protests, which, according to The Independent, drew millions across events in some 2,000 cities, seemed to have more attendees.
They wrote: “The protesters' crowd size is better than Trump's.”
The protests in question are against Trump and his recent presidential policies, including, most recently, the mass deportation of alleged illegal immigrants.
The Republican aims to launch the 'biggest deportation operation' in US history.
In June, the White House increased its goal for ICE officials to make at least 3,000 arrests per day.
The comments also come after other social media users pointed out that the US Army’s somewhat unsynchronised march could even be on purpose.
One user shared a clip from the parade along with the scathing caption: "I've marched in more military parades than I even care to remember.
"Probably watched dozens more as a spectator. And this is easily the worst and sloppiest marching I've ever witnessed at a formal military parade.
"It feels like a big 'f**k you' to Trump from the soldiers."