Donald Trump is hoping for a national celebration of American pride with an extravagant parade in Washington D.C. on July 4. But it seems much of the country is not in the mood to join in the celebration. A day ahead of the planned parade on the National Mall, the hashtag #BoycottTrump4thOfJuly was one of the top trends on Twitter in the United States.

The parade has received increasing criticism in recent days amid reports of high costs, appearances of tanks and other military hardware and VIP tickets being given to Republicans and political appointees. According to a Washington Post report, $2.5 million in entrance and recreation fees intended to go toward improving national parks will instead be spent on the July 4 event.

"This President understands the power of weaponized patriotism," wrote Christian pastor and author John Pavlovitz in a quote from a piece he penned on the subject. "He knows the way the Stars and Stripes are a cheap intoxicant to those who imagine America to be their sole property, those needing an enemy to give them purpose."

Trump's desire for the parade was reportedly spurred by a trip to Paris where he watched a Bastille Day celebration in 2017. But the presence of tanks on the streets of the nation's capital has sparked unflattering comparisons with the sorts of displays put on by authoritarian regimes in North Korea and China.