Trump wants a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue on July 4th

It would not be the first time modern military hardware has been wheeled down Pennsylvania Avenue. Pershing and Nike missiles were part of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural celebration, recalled Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian, though Kennedy generally disliked military parades.

But for the most part during the Cold War, Mr. Beschloss said, big displays of military might were seen as a sign of weakness because they mimicked the Soviet Union.

“If the message is: ‘I want to express how much I honor our military,’ that’s a wonderful thing,” Mr. Beschloss said. “If the idea is to mimic other countries military might, I don’t think that’s a great idea.”

If the president gets his wish this Fourth of July, it will be the first major military parade down the streets of Washington in more than 25 years. In 1991, President George Bush hosted a similar demonstration of military prowess after the end of the Persian Gulf war.