Rand Paul Rips Trump Military Parade — Compares it to Soviet Union, North Korea

Senaator Rand Paul (R-KY) — who has clashed heavily with President Donald Trump in recent days by speaking out against the Trump-backed budget bill — condemned Saturday’s military parade in Washington, comparing it to similar marches in the Soviet Union and North Korea.

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday, the Kentucky senator slammed the festivities in Washington to commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States Army — siding with critics who denounced the display as a show of totalitarianism.

“I just never liked the idea of the parade because I grew up in the ’70s and ’80s and the only parades I can remember are Soviet parades for the most part or North Korean parades,” Paul said. “And the parades I remember from our history were different. You know, everybody remembers that famous scene of the soldier, you know, dipping the girl and kissing the girl in New York in a ticker tape parade. But we were rejoicing the end of war, and we were rejoicing our soldiers coming home. And that absolutely ought to be commemorated and discussed every year, Memorial Day, Veterans Day. But we never glorified weapons so much.”

Paul added he believes Trump “means well” with the ceremony. But added that he also objected on the basis of the parade’s reported price tag of more than $40 million.

“And then there is the cost,” Paul said. “I mean, we’re $2 trillion in the hole and just, an additional cost like this, I’m not for it.”

Watch above, via NBC News.