Army veteran and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore took to X Friday to roast Saturday’s military parade ostensibly commemorating the Army’s 250th anniversary, though widely seen as a bow to President Donald Trump’s ego.
The parade wouldn’t be held if not for Trump, who saw France’s annual Bastille Day celebration, featuring tanks and flyovers, and wanted one of his own. The timing for the event is unusual — America isn’t coming off any major military victories, and the Trump administration’s stated goal of belt-tightening wouldn’t seem to have room for the $25 million to $45 million the parade is expected to cost, according to The Associated Press.
But the president gets what he wants, and the festivities happen to fall on his birthday. He’ll watch the parade from a viewing stand where he’ll be able to review each formation passing by the White House. It’s the kind of stagecraft favored by dictators from Vladimir Putin to Kim Jong Un.
A total of 6,169 soldiers and 128 Army tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery will be on display, while 62 aircraft will pass overhead. The White House estimates 200,000 people will attend the festivities, though the weather forecast is bleak.
Moore lamented the president’s role in the parade, writing in the video’s caption that the Army’s anniversary “should be about my fellow service members. Men and women who truly sacrifice for the country we all love.”
“That sacrifice is something this president could never understand,” said the first-term Maryland governor. “It’s because he doesn’t understand what it means to put country before himself.”
It would be hard to accuse Moore, a former captain in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, of that. His service included a two-year stint in Afghanistan.
Moore singled out a former commandant of cadets at his alma mater, Valley Forge Military Academy, as someone who he believes exemplifies the country-first ethos
“When I think of that kind of service, I think about Col. (Billy) Murphy,” Moore said. “He was one of the most intimidating individuals I’ve ever met, but he was also incredibly fair.
“And he demanded excellence from every single cadet he commanded,” the governor continued. “And he also instilled in us a sense of duty to make a positive impact in the world.”
Moore, a Rhodes scholar in college, is widely viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party and is considered a potential presidential candidate as early as 2028.
His attack on Trump drew a mixed response on X.
One commenter applauded Moore for speaking out.
“Gov, I have the same jump wings as you. Trump hijacked this event,” he opined. “The military is nothing but a prop for Trump. Why wasn’t there one on our 100th anniversary? Why wait until Trump is the president?”
But MAGA adherents were quick to jump to the president’s defense.
“He was nearly killed by a sniper while running for office,” wrote one. “There have been multiple attempts on his life. His political opponents had him convicted and nearly jailed. He’s risked his life, reputation, and fortune to stand for necessary cultural and political change that most established people are too afraid to due to the risk of being called names (and reputational damage).”
“One of the first things leaders are taught is that doing the right thing is often unpopular. And yet few today will veer from the popular course,” he continued. “Trump is unfortunately a rare exception.”
He was also able to secure a deferment from serving in Vietnam due to “bone spurs” in his feet. Trump has routinely disparaged military heroes like the late former U.S. Sen. John McCain and Gen. Mark Milley, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the president’s first term.
His former chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, accused the president of regularly disrespecting veterans and current military members.
“A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them,'” Kelly said of Trump in 2023. “A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family — for all Gold Star families — on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.”
Despite that, military veterans turned out overwhelmingly for Trump in the 2024 election. Moore is seen as one candidate who could win back young men who, by a wide margin, turned their backs on Democrats.
Moore said he is motivated by the example provided by the late Col. Murphy
“He’s no longer with us, but his lessons live through me and everyone who had the honor of serving under him,” he said.
“That’s the kind of person who deserves a parade,” Moore concluded.
