The Daily Fuckup

WASHINGTON — A new AP-NORC poll released Thursday found broad public skepticism toward the Army’s June 14 parade in Washington, with 60% of U.S. adults saying it is not a good use of government funds. The event is set to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary and will fall on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.

The poll found 40% of adults approve of the parade, while 29% disapprove of Trump’s decision to hold it. Support splits sharply along party lines: about two-thirds of Republicans back the parade, while 80% of Democrats say it is not a good use of government funds. Among independents, half neither approve nor disapprove of Trump’s decision.

The Army says the celebration will run at the National Mall and include military demonstrations, equipment displays, a cake-cutting ceremony, a parade with 6,700 soldiers, flyovers, a parachute demonstration by the Golden Knights and fireworks. The Army has also said the parade is part of the service’s 250th birthday celebration.

The poll says the parade is expected to cost as much as $45 million. That price tag, along with the overlap between the Army anniversary and Trump’s birthday, has fueled criticism from some Americans who see the event as an expensive display rather than a restrained military commemoration.

Even so, the poll suggests the parade may still draw support from Trump’s political base. That leaves the White House with a familiar split-screen: a public event meant to project strength and ceremony, and a public that is already divided over whether the spending is justified before the first step is marched on the Mall.