Some Of Trump's Biggest Allies Couldn't Be Bothered To Show Up To His Military Parade
Donald Trump's ego seems to be directly correlated to the crowds that he can draw, so his much-maligned military parade is likely to strike a nearly lethal blow to his self-image. If the early counts are any indication, then it seems likely that the "No Kings" protests against President Trump will see far more participants than the parade. But it's not just the lack of public interest that's making all of this pomp and circumstance so cringe-worthy.
A significant part of the controversy over this event is that it seems like it's just an excuse for Donald Trump to throw himself a $45 million birthday party with taxpayer money. And, despite the fact that the president is blowing wads of cash to show off the power of the American military, it's not just the American people who are unimpressed. Even Trump's most devoted Republican allies seem to have passed on attending their dear leader's birthday bash.
It's Trump's party, and he'll cry if he wants to
Donald Trump's political rivals have unsurprisingly capitalized on his unimpressive crowd sizes, but he certainly wasn't expecting any significant support from them anyway. And to be fair, rumors that Trump's MAGA Republican squad wouldn't be making an appearance at the military parade were swirling for days. Politico even surveyed dozens of Republican politicians who outright admitted they didn't plan to attend. However, the conspicuous absence of ardent Trump defenders like Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Senator Tommy Tuberville has got to hit Trump where it hurts. Even MAGA super-fans like White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Representative Lauren Boebert skipped the ceremony!
What's even more striking is the lack of Trump family members who came for the celebration, as the spectacle is clearly meant to serve as a quasi-birthday party for the president. His son, Barron Trump, ditched the fête even though he should have wrapped up his first year of college at NYU already, and his daughter Ivanka didn't show up either. Most of his grandchildren were missing as well.
However, if President Trump wants to look on the bright side, at least some of his so-called friends and loved ones showed up. Devotee Marjorie Taylor Greene unsurprisingly RSVP'd yes, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was Trump's literal right-hand man on stage, and even the rarely-seen Melania made an appearance for her husband's parade.