A recent poll conducted by NBC in collaboration with Survey Monkey indicates that 64% of Americans disapprove of using state funds for the upcoming military parade this weekend.
Scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 PM, the event will feature 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 6,600 soldiers parading through the streets of Washington, D.C., in celebration of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. Interestingly, this event also coincides with President Trump’s 79th birthday, and there’s a chance for an airshow, depending on the weather.
The Army has estimated that the festivities could cost taxpayers anywhere from $25 million to $45 million. This estimation also covers potential damage to public roads from the tanks involved in the parade.
When breaking down party lines, 88% of Democrats and 72% of independents disapprove of the military parade’s funding, while 68% of Republicans are in support. Moreover, among Republicans, support rises to 75% among MAGA supporters, compared to only 56% of more moderate Republicans.
In a poll question, participants were asked about their stance on the military parade ordered by President Trump for June 14th, which is projected to cost $45 million. Respondents expressed their opposition to varying degrees.
About 14% of adults voiced strong support for federal funding of the parade, in contrast to 44% who are strongly opposed. Additionally, 22% indicated some level of support, while 20% reported slight opposition.
This poll was conducted from May 30th to June 10th with a sample size of 19,410 adults across the country, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1%.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research corroborated these findings, revealing that 60% of Americans believe that funding the parade is not a responsible use of government resources.
Democrats have notably voiced strong criticisms regarding the parade. For instance, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) suggested that if the intention is to honor military families, it would be more beneficial to allocate $30 million toward supporting their childcare, food aid, and tuition costs. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) commented, “We all love to have a lovely birthday party, but most of us don’t celebrate in a $45 million taxpayer-funded military parade.”
This display of military power stands in stark contrast to a recent situation in Los Angeles, where 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines were deployed to protest against an immigrant raid.
