Overview

• On HBO’s Real Time, Bill Maher called Trump’s 250th Army birthday parade “vaguely fascist” and criticized its execution.
• Rep. Wesley Hunt hailed the parade as a powerful salute to troops and contrasted it with President Biden checking his watch during a Dover arrival ceremony.
• CNN commentator Paul Begala accused Trump of disrespecting veterans, prompting Hunt to cite record military recruiting numbers as evidence of presidential support.
• The multimillion-dollar event drew smaller-than-expected crowds and spurred “No Kings” protests in Washington.
• The televised clash underscored partisan divides over the political symbolism and costs of public military celebrations.