Ex-State Dept. spokesman: Military parade ‘is beneath us as a nation’

A former State Department spokesman and retired Navy rear admiral on Wednesday ripped President Trump’s request for the Pentagon to organize a military parade, calling it a “tremendously bad idea.”

“This is not about showcasing our military. This is about the president showing off. This is all about his ego,” John Kirby said on CNN’s “New Day.”

The Washington Post reported Tuesday night that Trump has asked military officials to explore holding a celebration for Americans to show their appreciation for the armed forces. 

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The White House has confirmed that Trump directed the Department of Defense to look into creating such an event.

Officials told The Washington Post that the concept is still in its early stages, but that the parade could cost millions of dollars.

Kirby, who served as State Department spokesman from 2015 to 2017, argued Wednesday that the event would be a waste of money and that the resources for a parade could be better spent elsewhere. He suggested spending money on operations, military training and spouse education programs instead.

“This is just beneath us as a nation,” Kirby said. “We are the most powerful military on earth. We’re very proud of that and rightly so. We don’t need to be parading our military hardware down Pennsylvania Avenue to show that to anybody.”