As the controversy around President Donald Trump’s proposed militaristic parade grows, the set of Morning Joe torched him by suggesting he instead “march around” alone while playing dress up in “a military uniform” — since his multiple draft deferments show he can only “pretend.”

MSNBC senior contributor Mike Barnicle proposed the idea of Trump engaging in some Comic Con-style larping and wearing clothes that a US solider would wear, that way he could satisfy his parade desires by “pretending to be General Patton.”

“Maybe the answer, Joe, is to just get Donald Trump a military uniform with epaulets on the shoulder and give him some salad dressing to put on the left lapel and let him March around and pretend to be General Patton,” mused Barnicle.

Host Joe Scarborough responded by pointing out Trump has to play pretend, as he escaped the draft during the Vietnam War five different times for various reasons:

“He would have to pretend to be in the military. Because he got five deferments while brave men and women were getting shot at and killed in Vietnam… It might be a great idea for Donald Trump to stand there and salute all the men and the women that went to Vietnam and served in Vietnam, all those family members of the 58,000 American who is died in Vietnam. And actually give those men and women a parade, many of whom were spit at and attacked when they came home from service. And spit at and attacked because of the lies being told by presidents and secretaries of defense.”

Scarborough went on to point out that Senator Lindsey Graham’s idea to host a military parade that focused on respecting the troops who have served — similar to a Veteran’s Day parade — rather than one that focuses on “military hardware.”

The president reportedly called for a military event in Washington, D.C. after he saw France’s display of strength while visiting the country on Bastille Day. “I want a parade like the one in France,” he is said to have told officials.

Watch above, via MSNBC.

[images via screengrab]

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