On July 14, National Day of France, Donald Trump was impressed to see the pompous military parade through the Champs Elysees in Paris, where he was on an official visit, invited by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Apparently, the image stuck in his head.

"I'm thinking about a July 4th on Pennsylvania Avenue, a great parade to demonstrate our military strength," Trump told President Macron last September when they met again at the United Nations summit in New York.

This month, as revealed by The Washington Post, Trump has decided to take action and officially ask the Pentagon that he "wants a parade like France," with soldiers and tanks marching through the streets of Washington.

The proposal was instantaneously criticized, to the point that a group of veterans compared the president to "an aspiring strongman of the Banana Republic."

His quirky request raised criticism in social networks, which compared him on several occasions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

"Tanks no, thanks," tweeted the District of Columbia profile.

The White House confirmed that an event is in the process, although it did not offer more details. "President Trump represents incredible support for the members of the great service of the United States who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe," said press secretary Sarah Sanders. "He asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration in which all Americans can show their gratitude."

The Barcelona newspaper La Vanguardia took the opportunity to recall that the president who today is calling for a great military march is the same one who escaped the Vietnam War with the excuse of having "spurs on his feet".