By Rabbi Steven Blane
A military parade on Trump’s birthday. Judges threatened. Courts ignored. Tariffs triggering a recession. Campuses under siege. This isn’t politics. It’s not a Constitutional Crisis. It’s a coup. And Republicans? You’re pathetic.
So now we’re planning a military parade in Washington, D.C. on June 14, 2025—supposedly to honor the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. But let’s be honest: it’s not about the Army. It’s about Trump. His birthday. His image. His ego. The tanks, the helicopters, the 6,600 troops—they’re marching for him. It’s not patriotism. It’s propaganda.
And if you think I’m exaggerating, let me walk you through what else is happening while the banners go up and the brass gets polished.
Trump’s regime is actively threatening the rule of law. Judges are being doxxed. Harassed. Intimidated. They now need security just to do their jobs. But that’s not enough for this man—he’s also defying their rulings outright:
He deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia despite a federal order to keep him in the U.S.
He ignored a court’s halt on Venezuelan deportations, claiming the judge’s order “wasn’t in writing.”
He used an 18th-century law—the Alien Enemies Act—to detain and deport immigrants without due process, until a federal judge (one he appointed!) ruled it unconstitutional.
He even froze federal funds after courts told him not to. Judges are literally filing enforcement motions against a sitting administration for contempt.
And now he wants a military tribute? On his birthday? This is the dictator starter pack.
Meanwhile, he’s pummeling our economy with tariffs he now admits will trigger a recession. Don’t take it from me—his own advisors are leaking the truth. Prices are about to soar. And still—he pushes ahead. Because for Trump, pain is a feature, not a bug. Wreck the economy, blame the “deep state,” and ride the chaos to more power.
And if that weren’t enough—he’s declared war on our colleges. Not metaphorically. He’s ordering investigations, threatening accreditation, and turning peaceful student protests into scapegoats for his broader cultural purge. Academic freedom? Free expression? Forget it. In his world, universities are enemies of the state—unless they fall in line.
Let’s put it plainly: he is attacking our courts, our economy, our information, our schools all while parading troops for his birthday. It’s not politics. It’s not policy. It’s fascist performance art.
And here’s the part that makes me sick—Republicans are letting it happen. You know who you are. Senators. Governors. Pundits. Clergy. Business leaders. You see the lawlessness. You see the cruelty. And you shrug. Maybe you even smile.
You’re cowards.
You’re frauds.
And you are complicit.
How pathetic you are if you allow this. If you let this parade roll without protest—if you keep nodding along while Trump defies judges, wrecks the economy, terrorizes campuses, and salutes himself like Caesar—you’ve abandoned your country.
So no, I won’t be waving a flag on June 14. I’ll be sounding every alarm I can.
I saw all of this coming when Trump was spending all that time with the Korean leader. It was like he was getting lessons on dictatorship.
What’s needed at Trump’s “parade” is for a few young men with shopping bags to do what one brave Chinese man did at Tiananmen Square.