On Saturday, June 14, Washington, D.C., played host to a grand military parade celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday—a ceremony that coincided with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and Flag Day. The event unfolded along Constitution Avenue from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument and closed with a fireworks show over the Tidal Basin.
At roughly 6 p.m., the parade commenced with a 21‑gun salute and performances by brass bands, accompanied by the historic U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own.” Approximately 6,600 soldiers from across at least 11 corps and divisions, 128 Abrams tanks, two World War II Sherman tanks, and about 50 helicopters and airplanes moved down the National Mall. The parade also included parachute jumps and historical reenactments, marking the Army’s progression from 1775 to the present. Organizers estimated the cost between $25 million and $45 million.
President Trump, joined by First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, cabinet members and senior Pentagon officials such as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, took the podium.
“Time and again, America’s enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you,” Trump said.
He lauded the Army as “the greatest, fiercest and bravest fighting force” and highlighted its legacy from the Revolutionary War to modern conflicts. He later watched paratroopers and aircraft flyovers before a fireworks display wrapped up the evening.
While the event was initially projected to see 200,000 people in attendance, the turnout day-of appeared to fall short of that, with large gaps in the crowd along the national mall and viewing stands for the parade partially empty. Officials attributed the lower turnout to rain, heat, and road closures in the capital region.
As the parade was underway, a massive protest movement known as “No Kings” swept across the U.S., staging demonstrations in over 2,100 cities and towns. Organizers claim more than 5 million Americans participated, making it the country’s largest coordinated protest since Trump’s second term began. Governors in several states pre‑positioned National Guard forces, but most demonstrations remained peaceful.
Huge crowds filled city centers in major cities across the country, such as Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Houston, Denver and Los Angeles, holding signs that read “Democracy, Not Dynasty” and carrying American flags reclaimed from political symbolism.
Americans in rural towns and ordinarily conservative states such as Arkansas joined in the movement, with citizens lining roadways and gathering in parks.
While the protest remained largely peaceful, a few scattered incidents occurred at demonstrations throughout the day. In L.A., organizers estimated up to 200,000 protesters and some clashes occurred with police. Salt Lake City saw one person critically injured after gunshots were fired in the crowd, according to authorities.
Officials cancelled official demonstrations in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband the night before, though demonstrators still showed up in the state.
Critics argued that staging the military parade on the president’s birthday blurred the line between democracy and spectacle and risked politicizing the armed forces. According to one recent poll, 64 percent of Americans disapproved of the parade held in the capital. Comparisons with authoritarian regimes emerged, intensified by colorful MAGA crowds and Trump’s rhetoric. Demonstrators sprinkled throughout the crowd on the National Mall carried banners and signs expressing their dissent.
Yet supporters viewed it as overdue recognition of military service and national pride.
“I’m not here because of the president,” one attendee explained. “I’m here to recognize the Army and honor those who have served.”
Trump said he saw it as celebration, noting, “Every other country celebrates their victories… it’s about time America did, too.”
Saturday’s events underscored profound divisions in America: a sweeping military parade held on the president’s birthday was met with widespread dissent by millions marching under a banner of democracy and resistance. As the Army turned 250 in a blaze of tanks and roar of jets, protestors voiced a starkly different view of the state of the nation.
