Media Misses Patriotic Imperative of Trump’s Flag Day Parade

This weekend, President Donald Trump will mark the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday – and Flag Day – with a massive military parade in the nation’s capital. While Democrats and the corporate media have dismissed the celebration as a “vanity project” and a waste of time and money, they miss how the event fits into Trump’s longstanding commitment to restoring a sense of American patriotism and national greatness.

The event will be the largest military parade in Washington, D.C. since 1991, when 200,000 people jammed into the capital to cheer on veterans returning home from the Gulf War. That parade featured more than 8,000 servicemen and women marching down Constitution Avenue and 80 military helicopters and fighter planes, including the first stealth fighter, which roared over the Lincoln Memorial as spectators looked on.

Then, like now, critics scrutinized the price tag – $12 million. But a CBS report from the time captures the unmistakable spirit of unity and patriotism that the event instilled. Many attendees were brought to tears. Veterans couldn’t help but smile. After the parade, the wife of a retired Air Force officer briefly and accurately described its goal to The Washington Post: “It’s a way for the American people to feel good about themselves and their country.”

This year’s parade will feature thousands of Army personnel marching in formation wearing uniforms representing every U.S. conflict dating back to the Revolutionary War. More than 100 military trucks, tanks, planes, and helicopters will be involved. The parade will be followed by a parachute jump from the Army’s Golden Knights, along with a concert and fireworks. Trump is also expected to offer remarks kicking off the lead-up to his administration’s grand “American 250” celebration next year.

Critics of Trump’s parade have compared it to the military parades frequently seen in authoritarian nations like the Soviet Union, Communist China, and North Korea. But these critiques miss one key difference: while parades in Beijing and Pyongyang are intended to intimidate and strike fear into the hearts of viewers, Trump’s commemoration of the Army’s 250th birthday is a celebration of the military’s proud, honorable history and is designed to inspire civic pride and love of country.

Colonel Jianhong, a former Chinese military official who defected to the West in the late 1980s (he wished to only be identified by his first name) noted in an interview with me how the motivations behind Trump’s parade are markedly different from those behind militaristic displays in China.

“The Chinese Communist Party indoctrinates the youth to join the People’s Liberation Army to defend party elites,” said Colonel Jianhong, who is a converted Christian. “But Trump’s parade is different – it is a celebration of the military’s defense of the United States and Judeo-Christian values, which is badly needed.”

Moreover, he explained, it is clearly meant to connect the American people to the Army’s history, rather than brainwash the population. “Western citizens make free choices to join the military when they are confident in their liberties and informed by events like this parade,” he said.

Several historians I spoke with also said that military parades can be an important tool for instilling a sense of national pride and civic virtue. “Through this parade, the Trump administration is seeking to guide American youth back to the values that shaped the nation’s exceptional leaders,” one told me. “This will equip them to address America’s toughest challenges through moral discipline and critical thinking.”

The parade on Saturday is the culmination of a series of events put on by the Army memorializing the branch’s history and accomplishments. Last weekend, the exhibition “Call to Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War” opened at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. Just days before that, the Army also put on a special rendition of “Twilight Tattoo,” a cherished tradition that dates back to the 17th-century European military custom of signaling the end of the duty day.

The word “tattoo” comes from the Dutch phrase doe den tap toe, meaning “turn off the taps,” a call for soldiers to return to their barracks and for taverns to cease serving. Over time, the practice evolved into a more formal military ceremony and was adopted by the U.S. Army as a way to showcase its history, values, and professionalism.

The modern Twilight Tattoo draws inspiration from this lineage, combining military precision with historical storytelling. Today, Twilight Tattoo is performed weekly during the summer at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia and features soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard.” More than just a spectacle, Twilight Tattoo serves as a living tribute to Army heritage and honors the service and sacrifice of soldiers past and present.

President Trump’s Flag Day parade is far more than pageantry — it’s a necessary antidote to the cultural amnesia and moral confusion that have taken root in America. At a time when patriotism is mocked and civic virtue eroded, this celebration boldly reaffirms our national identity and reminds Americans — especially the next generation — of the price of freedom and the nobility of service.

By honoring 250 years of Army history with pride and reverence, Trump is not flexing military might, but cultivating national unity, gratitude, and moral clarity. That’s not vanity — that’s leadership.

Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.