Trump's parade provokes much fretting about nothing

As a president who has divided his country in an unprecedented way, Donald Trump is no doubt used to the barrage of criticism that comes his way. Nevertheless, he might still have been caught by surprise when he found himself being jeered and lambasted by critics just because he voiced his desire to hold a military parade.

His directive to the Pentagon to draft options for a Bastille Day-inspired military spectacle became a target for scorn on Wednesday, with his critics deriding the idea as self-aggrandizement, even though Trump said the intention is to "highlight the service and sacrifice of the military".

It is hard to see what all the fuss is about. It is hardly out of character for him to want to stage a military parade. Nor would it be the first time that a military parade has been held in the United States. In 1991, tanks and troops paraded through Washington to celebrate victory in the Gulf War, and few seemed too bothered.