As Washington, D.C., played host on Saturday to a military parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, took to social media to deliver a message that resonated with clarity and conviction.

“This parade is comprised of our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers — the very best of us. Regardless of your politics, it’s appropriate to celebrate the 250 years of sacrifice, dedication and service,” Sen. Fetterman wrote.

In a political landscape increasingly fractured by partisanship, Fetterman’s words stand as a bold reminder of the values that unite us as Americans. His call to set aside politics and honor the service of our military is a commendable act of leadership that deserves recognition and emulation on both sides of the political aisle.

The parade was a tribute to the Army’s enduring legacy of protecting the nation. It was, of course, not without controversy. Critics, including many of Fetterman’s fellow Democrats, decried the event as a grandiose spectacle tied to President Donald Trump’s agenda, with “No Kings” protests erupting nationwide to denounce what some labeled as authoritarian posturing.

California Governor Gavin Newsom called the event a “vulgar display of weakness,” while Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer joined protests framing the parade as antithetical to democratic values. Amid all the dissent, Fetterman’s voice cut through with a simple, powerful truth: Celebrating our military’s service should transcend political divides.

And let’s be clear — it is fair to criticize the Trump administration, as this board did, for its lavish spending on the military parade when it has consistently emphasized cutting government waste. This contradiction badly undermines its fiscal responsibility claims and reeks of hypocrisy. But does that mean turning our backs on a celebration of our service members? Fetterman says no, and we agree with him.

Fetterman’s stance is particularly notable given his progressive roots. He has long championed working-class issues, criminal justice reform and universal healthcare. He has never been afraid to break with his party, but he is not a right-winger by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, he is an ideological leftist who has found political success in a state that voted for President Trump in both 2016 and 2024. That’s no easy feat.

Perhaps part of his success can be traced back to the sort of thinking Fetterman displayed on Saturday. Most Americans love our country and believe in the values it represents. There should be nothing controversial about celebrating the long legacy of men and women who have fought to protect those values, even if the person leading that celebration is a political adversary.

In fact, Saturday’s parade may have been the latest example of President Trump’s political cunning. It’s completely plausible to think Trump used the military parade as a trap to paint Democratic critics like Warren and Schumer as unpatriotic for opposing it. That is very much in line with the GOP playbook we see these days — plant a flag on the side of a winning issue so you can publicly tar and feather any dissenters.

Fetterman smartly avoided the trap by praising the parade’s tribute to “our sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers.” Ironically, on a day defined by loud anti-Trump protests organized by Democrats nationwide, Fetterman’s words may have been the most effective at diffusing the Republican political engine. He simply took away their power by not being triggered.

Democrats would benefit from more voices like Fetterman. He understands the game Republicans play and navigates accordingly. Not to mention, he knows how to fall on the correct side of common-sense issues like honoring the U.S. Army.