Former U.S. Military Officials Fear 'Tiananmen Square Moment' At Trump Parade: Report

New York Times reporter Helene Cooper says she spoke to retired U.S. Army officials and Marine generals who are "very worried" about Saturday's parade.

Former U.S. military officials are “very worried” about the optics of President Donald Trump’s upcoming military parade and highly concerned about a potential “Tiananmen Square moment,” according to New York Times reporters speaking on Friday’s edition of “The Daily” podcast.

The parade is meant to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary but will coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday and expected protests across the country — which retired officials believe could be a dangerous combination.

New York Times reporter Michael Barbaro said on Friday that “showcasing the U.S. military’s most fearsome weapons” and soldiers could feel like a threat to the citizens they’re meant to protect — rather than to “our foreign adversaries.”

“Absolutely,” replied Pentagon correspondent Helene Cooper. “They’re very worried about that. And especially in the former uniform world, where these are retired Army officials, retired Marine generals I’ve been on the phone with, they’re really worried about this image.”

“They are also worried about a potential Tiananmen Square moment, where you have a protester standing in front of a tank,” she continued. “That is not what America is supposed to look like. And this is another one of those potential scary things that we could see on Saturday.”