The costly celebration of the Army's 250th anniversary, which happens to fall on the president's birthday, has sparked heavy criticism from Democrats and inspired protests across the country.

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul said he's concerned over the message that could be sent by President Donald Trump's upcoming military parade.

“We’re a lion, and a lion doesn’t have to tell you it’s a lion,” Kennedy said. “Everybody else in the jungle knows, and we’re a lion. I would save the money, but if the president wants to have a parade, he’s the president, and I’m not.”

Trump's effort to use the military to quell protests received pushback for his staff during his first administration. Now he's trying again.

When President Donald Trump returned from a Bastille Day visit to Paris during his first term, he asked his military brass to organize a parade akin to the one he’d watched march down the Champs-Élysées.