John D. Graham

Interior, circa 1928

The Murder of David Rizzio (Mary, Queen of Scots witnessing the murder of David Rizzio)

Various artists/makers July 1, 1791

Artist: William Dickinson (British, London? 1746/47?–1823 Paris)

Artist: After John Graham (British, Edinburgh 1754/5–1817 Edinburgh)

From John Graham

The cost: $45 million.

This largest-ever peacetime military parade unfolds as Trump cuts 80,000 Veterans Affairs jobs.

Firing caregivers for wounded soldiers while funding a spectacle for a president who called fallen troops “losers” and “suckers.”

It's an almost perfect encapsulation of the Trump presidency, the MAGA ideology, and the Republican Party’s America.

June 14th, marking the Army’s 250th anniversary, commemorates the day in 1775 America formed an army to fight monarchy. Today, tanks roll through a republic under siege by a would-be king.

Three days earlier in Los Angeles, union leader David Huerta documented ICE raids and was thrown down by federal agents, tased, and hospitalized.

Thousands protested as masked ICE agents arrested 44 people, following Stephen Miller’s directive demanding 3,000 daily arrests, targeting even lawful immigrants and children.

Trump federalized 2,000 California National Guard troops over Governor Newsom’s objections.

In Paramount, agents unleashed tear gas on residents opposing raids; local deputies refused to aid ICE, containing chaos without enforcing federal crackdowns.

Families vanished into detention centers, described by witnesses as windowless rooms with no beds or food.

When Columbia University faced losing $400 million in funding, it capitulated—banning masks, surveilling departments, and increasing campus police.

Trump still threatened their accreditation.

Harvard resisted, challenged Trump in court, and won.

History warns: appeasement invites further aggression.

When America celebrated the Army’s bicentennial in 1975, there was no parade; post-Vietnam, the nation recognized that military displays without moral purpose were hollow theater.

The 1991 Gulf War victory parade honored returning troops for $12 million.

Trump’s parade could fund 434 VA positions. The $45 million cost excludes additional security expenses from Secret Service and Homeland Security, significantly inflating the final bill.

This administration’s disregard for democratic norms includes separating families, deporting American-born children, devastating the economy, and open corruption.

Trump’s parade honors Trump alone.

Across America, activists prepare “No Kings Day” events on June 14th, echoing the 1775 resistance against monarchy.

America faces a pivotal choice.

As tanks roll past monuments of freedom, the world watches to see if “We the People” still means something.

Trump’s parade lasts hours. Its precedent could last forever.