Two Bradley Fighting Vehicles are parked nearby the Lincoln Memorial for President Donald Trump’s ‘Salute to America’ event honoring service branches on Independence Day, Tuesday, July 2, 2019, in Washington. President Donald Trump is promising military tanks along with “Incredible Flyovers & biggest ever Fireworks!” for the Fourth of July. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

What do anti-Trump partisans do when the Mueller investigation comes up empty, the economy is good, and the Democrats have gone fully insane?

Collectively freak out over the President adding some things to Washington D.C.’s annual Fourth of July festivities, of course. He’s even going to honor the military and have some tank displays, so you know there’s real evil at play.

As streiff wrote earlier today, Joy Reid decided to opine on her show that Trump is actually doing all this to threaten the #resistance and show his disdain for democracy, because that’s where our discourse is at this point. It couldn’t possibly be because tanks are cool to look at and honoring the military as the protectors of our independence makes sense. No, it’s because Trump is about to declare himself dictator and destroy our republic.

The hot takes weren’t just relegated to low-rated weekend shows on MSNBC though.

Here’s a sampling of some of the gnashing of teeth.

Yep. That’s a TANK crossing the Potomac River for the first time in…well…ever??? #4thofjuly2019 #SaluteToAmerica ⁦@wusa9⁩ pic.twitter.com/IQB6wYAkNA

— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) July 3, 2019

This is profoundly disturbing. https://t.co/vIw5fWRNVG

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) July 2, 2019

This photo reminds me of parades I used to attend in the Soviet Union. Not the right look for the 4th. https://t.co/hsf3mZLnBo

— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) July 2, 2019

What country is this? And my friends on the right are worried about @Kaepernick7, while Trump tramples on our values. https://t.co/hqPFoAUzzn

— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) July 3, 2019

There’s something funny about full grown men wetting their pants at the mere site of military hardware. Someone make sure these guys never make it to an air show or they might spaz out and die on the spot. If they are feeling dangerous though, one of the best military air shows in the world happens right outside of D.C. on Joint Base Andrews.

Contrary to the narrative being spun, this is not anywhere close to the first time tanks have been used in parades on the National Mall. It’s happened numerous times, including after Desert Storm.

Here’s some dude from the CATO Institute, because of course that’s where he’s from.

If only any Tea Party activists were still around they might remember why Americans did not want the federal government putting on a display of tanks in DC.

— Walter Olson 😷 (@walterolson) July 3, 2019

I’m not even sure what this is supposed to mean. Are the tanks going to secure the Capitol and kick Nancy Pelosi out? Is this the beginning of a military coup, where a few lone Abrams and Bradleys manage to takeover the entire government? I don’t even think Olson knows what he’s actually saying, but it sure sounded good when he typed it.

Meanwhile, CNN and The Washington Post are doing what they do.

Analysis: Holidays used to bring us together. In the Trump era, they tear us apart. https://t.co/wSczwZZhbN

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 3, 2019

Yes, it’s Donald Trump that’s dividing us over the Fourth of July. It’s certainly not liberals who are currently rallying against (checks notes)…the Betsy Ross flag.

NEW: Military chiefs have concerns about the politicization of President Trump's Fourth of July event, with reservations about putting tanks or other armored vehicles on display, a source with direct knowledge tells CNN https://t.co/piY4qIuMw3 pic.twitter.com/cZWRrfPfpc

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 3, 2019

Which military chiefs would those be? We don’t know because CNN is quoting a single, third hand source. That’s journalism in 2019. If it fits a narrative, it’s fit to print.

This entire thing is just ridiculous. Trump is not a dictator, this is not Tienanmen Square, and Joy Reid will still be on the air next week. It’s a parade and some fireworks. A few armored vehicles will be there to take selfies with. When this is what people are getting outraged about, you know things are otherwise going really, really well in this country.

Want proof of how dumb this controversy is? Even David French is dragging people over it.

Here’s a photo from Eisenhower’s second inaugural (from the Washington Post): pic.twitter.com/wh5Q9IwLcC

— David French (@DavidAFrench) July 3, 2019

If Trump wins in 2020, his first order as President re-elect should be to have tanks at his inauguration. The sheer troll factor alone will be worth it.

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