Blimey. Even the most sceptical commentators would have struggled to have forecast a turnout as low as this. Donald Trump organised a military parade for his 79th birthday in Washington DC – only to find that it wasn’t exactly the best way to draw the masses.
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How many people attended Trump’s military parade?
Crowds of up to 200,000 were predicted by White House officials. However, footage from the scene on Saturday told a very different story. Fields were accommodating the event were left sparsely populated, as President Trump watched on from the stage. Some have branded the day as ‘a flop’
Trump’s military parade roundly mocked for low attendance, languid marches
Commentators on the parade also noted how ‘low-energy’ some of the soldiers taking part in the demonstration were. Christopher David, a prominent former member of the US Army, described the display as sloppy, and speculated about their allegiance to the Commander in Chief.
“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*** you” to Trump from the soldiers.” | Christopher David
Rows of empty seats line Constitution Avenue
Despite a range of speeches and ceremonies on the day, crowds largely failed to materialise around the capital. One of the more brazen humiliations for Mr. Trump was seen in the streets, as swathes of empty seats were seen along the parade route.
Political enemies stick the boot into US President
Trump also copped a fair bit of flak from Gavin Newsom, the California Governor who has been fiercely opposing the president’s deployment of US soldiers to quell the unrest in LA. He branded the birthday boy as ‘weak’ and ‘small’, comparing him to the likes of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin:
“Trump’s parade is nothing more than a vulgar demonstration of just how weak he is. It’s the kind of thing you see with Kim Jong Un, or Vladimir Putin – dictators around the world that are weak and desperate. It’s as small as it gets. But that’s Donald Trump.” | Gavin Newsom