The last time it was reported that Trump wanted to stage a grand May Day-like military parade through the streets of Washington DC like a real authoritarian dictator, the White House was quick to deny it and claim it was another example of liberal “fake news.”

But here we are again, folks, and this time it’s going to be more difficult to deny: Trump’s ‘marching orders’ to the Pentagon: Plan a grand military parade.

President Trump’s vision of soldiers marching and tanks rolling down the boulevards of Washington is moving closer to reality in the Pentagon and White House, where officials say they have begun to plan a grand military parade later this year showcasing the might of America’s armed forces.

Trump has long mused publicly and privately about wanting such a parade, but a Jan. 18 meeting between Trump and top generals in the Pentagon’s tank — a room reserved for top-secret discussions — marked a tipping point, according to two officials briefed on the planning.

Surrounded by the military’s highest-ranking officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Trump’s seemingly abstract desire for a parade was suddenly heard as a presidential directive, the officials said.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirms it:

“President Trump is incredibly supportive of America’s great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe. He has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation,” Sarah Sanders says.

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) February 7, 2018

This isn’t the first time he brought up the military parade idea: Trump Wanted Soviet-Style Military Parade for Inauguration https://t.co/hVWEIe4GkC pic.twitter.com/cemApHQVMC

— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) February 7, 2018