Avoiding the media trap of the military parade

Help Americans see that standing against authoritarianism is patriotic.

(White House photo)

The military parade and protests planned for this Saturday present the media with a big opportunity to educate America. News agencies can help explain that, just as a strong military has always been necessary to protect and defend our democracy, the right to protest against wannabe authoritarians here at home is necessary as well.

They can explain why any hint of this being a birthday celebration for President Donald Trump rather than a celebration of the Army’s 250th birthday is not befitting a democracy, in which the people -- not one person -- rule. They can explain why retired generals and, according to news reports, the Pentagon opposed such a spectacle in his first term.

The media can help Americans who don’t follow the news closely understand why moves from the Trump administration endanger our democracy, which relies on a balance of powers — with checks and balances among the three branches of the federal government — as well as the rights of individual states. It can show how that has been playing out in California and elsewhere, as the administration has refused to obey court rulings and threatened state officials. And, crucially, the media can fact check those who try to use this Saturday to push anti-democratic movements under simplistic slogans.

But instead, here’s what we’re likely to see: two-dimensional reporting that fails to dig into the issues and partisan reporting that casts the two sides as good guys vs. bad guys. The many Americans who don’t feel strongly either way won’t learn anything from this.

Already, this trouble is brewing. On Fox, host Jesse Watters claimed, “Democrats have to hate Trump more than they love America…. Do Democrats realize protesting a military parade isn't the best idea ahead of the midterms?” This kind of messaging works. There's a reason Fox continues to grow, and the 2024 elections showed a rightward swing in the electorate.

In a previous column, I explained why veterans are some of the strongest voices protesting Trump’s actions. Veterans protested across the country last Friday, and they likely will be among the prominent voices at the No Kings protests. (Note: There is technically a new poll of veterans, and the organization behind it says it shows they oppose the parade. But I’m not citing it because they were asked about active duty troops being ordered “to perform a parade in honor of President Trump’s birthday” -- rather than a parade for the Army that shares the date.)

There's also more that everyone who sees this parade as a sign of authoritarianism should keep in mind. First, though most nations with big annual military parades are non-democratic -- Russia, China, Iran, North Korea -- there are some democracies that hold military parades as well, including South Korea and France. In fact, it was France’s Bastille Day that made Trump want a big U.S. parade in his first term. (Some people point out that Bastille Day is about more than military strength; nevertheless, a big military parade is central).

Also, the United States had big military parades in the past. In the latest episode of my podcast They Stand Corrected, I share archival sound from a 1942 parade, which included a giant bust of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (but please don’t give Trump any ideas).

This makes criticism easy to shut down: “Sure, democracies do this, and America has.” That's why context is everything. Protesters need to explain in clear, simple terms how Trump is violating democratic norms and threatening democracy, so that their messages come out clearly in the media.

Interestingly, protesters can cite FDR himself. In a speech a year before Pearl Harbor about the importance of fighting to protect democracies, he discussed people at home who wanted the United States to befriend the Axis Powers. “Some of them even suggest that we should imitate the methods of the dictatorships. But Americans never can and never will do that,” he said, in remarks that now feel like wishful thinking.

Protesters should point out how Trump’s turn against Ukraine in favor of Russia and his desire to accept an ostentatious gift from Qatar show his willingness to befriend anti-democratic nations at the expense of standing for democracy. Emphasize that protesting this parade does not have to mean “hating America.” It can mean loving America.

On signs, in speeches, and in media interviews, focus on clear, simple, and bite-sized messages, like “Trump: Respect the Constitution,” “We Stand for Democracy,” and “We Support America, Not a Wannabe Dictator.” Then, the media is more likely to share these points, reaching more people.

Those who recognize the dangers of monarchical thinking need to avoid preaching to the choir and show the rest of the country why the dangers are real. This can happen on Saturday, as part of a “No Kings” celebration of the freedoms that the military has fought for.

Josh Levs is host of They Stand Corrected, the podcast and newsletter fact-checking the media. Find him at joshlevs.com.

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