Did U. S. Generals oppose trump’s 2018 plan for a large militaryparade?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows clear and widespread opposition to President Trump’s 2025 military parade from many veterans, analysts and segments of the public; multiple outlets report that military leaders and Pentagon officials raised concerns about optics and politicization of the force (e.g., worries it "could be seen as akin to the kind commonly seen in Moscow, Beijing or Pyongyang") and some retired generals publicly criticized the idea [1] [2] [3]. Sources document protests, low public support in polls, and veterans’ surveys showing large opposition to ordering active-duty troops into a parade tied to the president’s birthday [4] [2] [3].
1. Context: what was the plan and why it mattered
The event in question marked the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and coincided with President Trump’s birthday; organizers planned a large Washington parade with tanks, vehicles and flyovers that many saw as unusual in peacetime and costly—polling and analysts framed it as controversial because of timing, optics and expense [1] [2]. Brookings and other outlets emphasized that the combination of military hardware in the capital and the president watching on his birthday intensified scrutiny and political debate [2].
2. What uniformed leaders and the Pentagon reportedly said
Reporting cites Pentagon worries that a large parade “could be seen as akin to the kind commonly seen in Moscow, Beijing or Pyongyang,” reflecting official concern about the optics of a military spectacle in the capital [1]. News coverage and commentary also record that some senior officers—both serving and retired—expressed discomfort with using service members and equipment in what critics said looked like a politicized display [1] [2]. Available sources do not provide a single, unified memo or public statement from the entire Joint Chiefs opposing the parade, but they do document Pentagon-level unease and public remarks by senior figures [1] [5].
3. Retired generals and vets: organized criticism
Several retired generals and veterans’ groups spoke out. Newsweek and TIME reported large majorities of veterans opposing ordering active-duty troops to perform a parade tied to the president’s birthday—surveys found about 70% opposition among veterans in a Data for Progress/Common Defense poll cited by those outlets [3] [6]. Commentators and retired officers framed the idea as inconsistent with professional norms and warned about authoritarian optics [3].
4. Public opinion and political reaction
Polling and analysis showed broad unpopularity: Brookings cited a PRRI poll saying roughly three-quarters of Americans opposed the parade, and NBC reporting found 64% opposed government spending on it—indicating the controversy extended beyond military circles into mainstream public and political debate [2] [5]. Capitol Hill Republicans were reportedly non-committal, and protests under the “No Kings” banner occurred nationwide on parade day [7] [4].
5. Competing perspectives and defenses of the parade
Defenders characterized the event as a patriotic celebration of the Army’s 250th anniversary and emphasized military participation as honoring service members. Pro-parade coverage emphasized spectacle, tradition and public displays of gratitude, and outlets like Fox highlighted celebratory elements such as flyovers and marching units [8]. Some onlookers said they saw the parade simply as honoring troops, not as a political show [5].
6. Where reporting diverges and what’s not in the sources
Sources differ on emphasis: some focus on operational and legal concerns (optics, cost, Posse Comitatus implications when troops are used domestically), others on political symbolism and public backlash [1] [2] [9]. Available sources do not show a single unequivocal, documented stance from every serving general collectively opposing the original 2018-styled plan; rather, they show Pentagon worries, public criticism from retired generals and veterans, and widespread civic opposition [1] [3]. If you are asking specifically about unified, on-the-record opposition from the Joint Chiefs in 2018, available reporting in these results does not mention a single formal Joint Chiefs declaration rejecting the parade plan [1].
7. Bottom line: what the evidence supports
The weight of contemporary reporting portrays significant resistance to a large presidential parade from military advisers and Pentagon officials concerned about optics and politicization, plus vocal criticism from retired generals and veterans and broad public opposition—while defenders framed it as a legitimate commemoration of the Army [1] [3] [2] [8]. The record in supplied sources supports saying many military-linked voices opposed elements of the plan, but it does not supply one definitive unified public statement from all serving generals formally opposing it [1] [3].