Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he “never liked the idea” of President Trump’s military parade, saying while he believes the president “means well,” the military parades he remembers growing up were Soviet or North Korean.
“I just never liked the idea of the parade because I grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, and the only parades I can remember are Soviet parades for the most part or North Korean parades,” Paul said when asked about the parade on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday. “And the parades I remember from our history were different.”
Paul mentioned that previous U.S. military parades were “rejoicing the end of war” and “our soldiers coming home,” which “absolutely ought to be commemorated and discussed every year” through Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
“But we never glorified weapons so much,” he added. “And I know he means well. I don’t think he means for any of this to be depicted in another fashion. But I’m just not a big fan.”
The parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army also fell on Trump’s 79th birthday and featured military vehicles and members of the Army marching down Constitution Avenue.
Many critics of the parade, including Paul, highlighted its cost, which reached upward of $45 million.
“I mean, we’re $2 trillion in the hole and just an additional cost like this, I’m not for it,” he said.
The Kentucky Republican has repeatedly expressed opposition to Trump’s tax cut and spending package, or the “big, beautiful bill,” since its announcement.
Last week, Paul was uninvited from the annual White House picnic in an apparent snub to his opposition.
“I just find this incredibly petty,” he said after being informed he was uninvited. “I have been, I think, nothing but polite to the president.”
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
