State Dept. calls North Korea military parade a ‘dog and pony show’

The State Department on Thursday called a recent military parade in North Korea a “dog and pony show,” even amid reports that the Trump administration is planning a military procession of its own. 

CNN’s Michelle Kosinski tweeted the swipe from a State Department official.

The State Dept. just called NKorea’s military parade a “dog and pony show.” Sooooo…

— Michelle Kosinski (@MichLKosinski) February 8, 2018

{mosads}

The comment came after media reports surfaced that top Pentagon officials are in the early stages of planning a military parade in Washington, D.C., at President Trump’s behest.

The White House confirmed on Tuesday that the president did, in fact, ask military officials to “explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation.”

It’s not clear when such an event would take place, though The Washington Post reported that Pentagon officials are hoping that it happens on Veterans Day, which would coincide with the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.

Trump has long floated the idea of a grand display of U.S. military might, and was reportedly dazzled by such a parade during a Bastille Day celebration in Paris last year.

But military parades are rare in the U.S., and critics of the president’s reported plan have said that such displays are more closely associated with authoritarian governments, like North Korea, which openly touts military hardware in its parades.

A parade in North Korea on Thursday featured tanks, soldiers and hundreds of troops marching ahead of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, which are set to open on Friday.