Parade in Washington

Report: Trump's parade a mourning march for the climate

Tonight's enormous US military parade will produce around 2 million kilograms of carbon dioxide, about the same amount as 300 homes produce in a year. This is shown by a report from the progressive think tank Institute for Policy Studies and The Guardian.

It is President Donald Trump who has decided to arrange the parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US military. Around 150 military vehicles and 50 fighter jets will participate and are expected to burn several hundred liters of fuel per hour.

The think tank notes that their calculations are probably on the low side as they do not take into account the fact that thousands of people, horses and an enormous amount of equipment must be flown into Washington DC.

Analysis: Rain on Trump's parade after a week of chaos

Even in a year full of "go to hell" events, the last eight days stand out as particularly chaotic for Donald Trump. Axios' Zachary Basu writes in an analytical text for Axios.

During the week, he has had a public heated argument with former gunfighter Elon Musk, mobilized soldiers against those demonstrating against him in Los Angeles, and Israel has carried out extensive attacks on Iran. Trump turns 79 on Saturday and, fittingly, he is organizing a huge military parade in Washington DC that costs more than $40 million, officially to celebrate the military's 250th birthday.

Critics say Trump is abusing his power in the way he is facing the demonstrations in Los Angeles. Around 2,000 demonstrations against the president are being held in the US overnight, says SVT's Carl Fridh Kleberg

- Trump has promised to crack down hard on anyone who disrupts order, he says.

As if the tense situation and criticism of Trump were not enough, rain is also expected to fall on Trump's parade, write Junho Lee and John Ismay in the New York Times. The weather forecast promises rain and thunder in the US capital. 

Trump's dream comes true – the whole of the US steels itself

During the night leading up to Sunday, a long-standing dream for Donald Trump will become a reality. Then the large military parade will begin in Washington DC to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Army.

Military parades are unusual in the US. Since the end of World War II, they have only happened on one occasion: when President George HW Bush celebrated victory in the Gulf War in 1991. According to the Washington Post, Trump got the idea for the parade when he visited France on the country's national day on July 14, 2017.

- It was one of the most amazing parades I've ever seen, Trump said at the time.

The parade has led to harsh criticism and protests are expected across the country under the slogan "No kings." In the Republican-controlled states of Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri, the National Guard has been called in to maintain order.