The US Defence Department has said it is exploring potential options for Donald Trump’s proposed military parade, which a top Democrat called a “fantastic waste of money to amuse the President”.

“I think we’re all aware, in this country, of the President’s affection and respect for the military. We’ve been putting together some options,” Defence Secretary James Mattis told reporters during a White House press briefing. “We’ll send them up to the White House for a decision.”

Mr Mattis appeared at the briefing to lay out an argument for fully funding the military – shortly after Senate leaders announced that they had struck a deal on a budget that includes a major boost in military spending.

When asked why he would divert time, energy, financial resources to the planning of a parade, Mr Mattis replied: “The President’s respect, his fondness for the military, I think, is reflected in him asking for these options.”

The office of Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has already ruled out the idea of the city paying for the event.

The mayor’s spokesperson, Anu Rangappa, said the administration has not yet formally reached out to DC officials about the proposed parade.

“In the meantime, we do know that, just like the wall, he will have to pay for it,“ she said, referring to Mr Trump’s proposed border wall between the US and Mexico. Mr Trump repeatedly stated during his campaign that Mexico would pay for the construction of the barrier – a claim that was rejected by America’s southern neighbour.

Mr Trump has long floated the idea of holding a parade to show the US’s military might, but he has apparently now issued a directive to make his dream a reality.

When Mr Trump met with the French President Emmanuel Macron in September, the commander-in-chief gushed about seeing France’s military might on display in the streets when he watched the Bastille Day parade with his French counterpart in July.

“I was your guest at Bastille Day, and it was one of the greatest parades I’ve ever seen,” Mr Trump told Mr Macron. “To a large extent because of what I witnessed, we may do something like that on July Fourth in Washington down Pennsylvania Avenue.”

Critics are panning the President’s supposed order for a parade as a waste of money and say it is reminiscent of events that dictators hold to celebrate their strength.

Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images

“Take the money that the President would like to spend on this parade [and] instead, let’s make sure our troops are ready for battle and survive it and come home to their families,” said Senator Dick Durbin, the Democratic minority whip, in an interview with MSNBC.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN that such a parade risks being “kind of cheesy and a sign of weakness” if it’s all about showing off military hardware.

“My hope is this parade will not focus on military hardware, but on military service, sacrifice, and saying ‘Thank You“ to those who protect our nation,” Mr Graham said on Twitter.

During a 18 January meeting between the President and top generals at the Pentagon, Mr Trump said we wanted a large-scale military that would roll through the streets of Washington – a demand that was interpreted as a presidential directive, according to the Washington Post.

“The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France,” a military official told the newspaper. “This is being worked at the highest levels of the military.”

Despite the criticism, the White House has defended Mr Trump’s desire for a military parade.

When pressed by a reporter on whether that was the best way to show appreciation for the troops, Ms Sanders said the White House has not made a final decision and that they are “exploring different ways that he could highlight and show the pride we have in the military.”

Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, said he was not sure that honouring our military is a waste of money.”