Saturday’s navy parade in Washington D.C. and the nationwide “No Kings” protests created a split-screen second for a divided nation.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
It is a split-screen second in America proper now. Right here in Washington yesterday, President Trump presided over a uncommon navy parade, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Military, which occurred to fall on his 79th birthday. In the meantime, folks gathered throughout the nation to protest what they noticed because the politicizing of the navy and Trump’s assaults on the nation’s checks and balances. The protests have been known as No Kings. NPR’s Frank Langfitt went to one of many protests and the parade, and he is right here on the road with us this morning. Hello, Frank.
FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE: Hello, Ayesha.
RASCOE: So let’s begin with the massive image. What was your takeaway from visiting these two occasions?
LANGFITT: Yeah, I began the day in Annapolis – that is the capital of Maryland – for one among these No Kings rallies. After which I drove to the Nationwide Mall, the place the tanks rolled from, like, Lincoln Memorial to the White Home. And, Ayesha, I actually felt like I used to be touring between two totally different nations with their very own cultures and methods of seeing america.
RASCOE: So give me some examples.
LANGFITT: Yeah, they have been fully totally different crowds and centered on very various things. One factor, although, is all of them have been very centered on being – as they noticed themselves – as intensely patriotic.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) America, America.
LANGFITT: You possibly can hear a bit of this singing in entrance of the State Home. At this No Kings protest in Annapolis, you noticed a crowd principally stuffed of white liberals, I feel. They usually introduced out a George Washington reenactor. He had a white wig. And he gave this speech that Washington delivered when he gave up his navy command right here in 1783.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED REENACTOR: (As George Washington) I retire from the good theater of motion and bidding an affectionate farewell to this august physique beneath whose orders I’ve so lengthy acted. I hereby provide my fee and go away all of the employments of public life.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Hear, hear.
LANGFITT: And the protester’s level, Ayesha, was here is Washington voluntarily giving up navy energy, whereas they are saying Trump is attempting to tackle extra navy energy.
RASCOE: You stated there was an emphasis on patriotism on the No Kings occasion. How was that expressed?
LANGFITT: Yeah, there was a union chief who informed the gang that they need to personal the flag. And at one level, the gang chanted this…
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) We love America. We’re America. We’re America.
RASCOE: So after that, you drive all the way down to the Nationwide Mall in D.C. What did you discover there?
LANGFITT: It was completely totally different – a navy pageant, mainly.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
LANGFITT: You had this extremely various crowd. Individuals I talked to had come from Ecuador, Vietnam. They have been individuals who had come to america. Now, did Trump seem to attempt to undertaking navy energy? There have been two tanks parked in entrance of the grandstand. However folks there have been actually there to have a good time the Military. I talked to a man named Dennis Connelly (ph). He is from Knoxville. And he was saying, you realize, when he realized the parade was similtaneously Trump’s birthday, he knew he needed to come right here.
DENNIS CONNELLY: President Trump – he is a go-getter. He is highly effective. And he is sort of like these highschool bullies, like Charlie Kirk was saying. And I simply suppose that is great. Now we have to have a strong president who’s prepared to push some boundaries.
LANGFITT: And what struck me a lot, Ayesha, is how totally different Connelly’s view of energy was from these folks we heard from earlier on the No Kings protest in Annapolis.
RASCOE: So Trump was a draw for Connelly. Was there plenty of seen assist for the president on the parade?
LANGFITT: You realize, from what I noticed, perhaps 10% MAGA hats – and it actually felt like folks have been there to see the Military and, frankly, ‘trigger they like to see the tanks.
RASCOE: That is NPR’s Frank Langfitt. Thanks a lot, Frank.
LANGFITT: Completely satisfied to do it, Ayesha.
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