President Trump's 250th U.S. Army Birthday Parade: Tanks, Rocket Launchers, and Smaller-Than-Expected Crowds. The controversial military parade, featuring tanks and rocket launchers rolling through Washington D.C., drew fewer spectators than anticipated. Coinciding with Trump's birthday, the event sparked debate over its purpose and cost
President Trump's 8-minute speech at the controversial US Army 250th birthday parade declared, "Every other country celebrates its victories; it's time America did too." The $45 million event, coinciding with Trump's birthday, featured a military display of tanks, rocket launchers, and thousands of troops, sparking debate about its true purpose and cost
Following the two-hour Constitution Avenue military parade celebrating the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, President Trump, largely seated, occasionally rose to salute troops and military vehicles
Trump's $45 Million Army Parade: A 250th Anniversary Celebration or Birthday Bash? The 2025 U.S. Army parade, coinciding with President Trump's 79th birthday, celebrated the Army's founding in 1775. However, the administration's claim that the costly spectacle was solely for the Army's anniversary raises questions, especially concerning the absence of similar celebrations for the Navy and Marine Corps, also established in 1775. Neither the President nor the Pentagon has announced plans for such events
Vice President JD Vance hyped President Trump's speech as the highlight of the Army's 250th-anniversary celebration, calling it "the main event" before Trump took the stage
Trump's Military Parade: Low Turnout Compared to Nationwide Anti-Trump Protests. While the President touted the Army's 250th birthday celebration, attendance on the National Mall was significantly lower than expected, dwarfed by the millions participating in nearly 2,000 "No Kings" protests across the country
Trump's June 14th, 2025 military parade, a spectacle costing $45 million, occurred less than 1,000 feet from the January 6th, 2021 Capitol riot site. His speech to supporters that day incited a march on the Capitol, resulting in over 140 police assaults, one death, and four subsequent suicides. This stark juxtaposition highlights the contrast between the celebratory parade and the violent events stemming from Trump's actions
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Trump, who avoided military service during the Vietnam War thanks to a doctor’s note diagnosing him with “bone spurs,” has wanted a military parade since he took office. His transition team before his first term tried to have tanks and other military equipment for his inaugural parade, “Red Square/North Korea-style,” according to a source. But, the Pentagon was able to nix the idea, citing the authoritarian optics as well as the likely damage to Washington, D.C.’s streets from tanks that weigh 75 tons and roll on steel treads.
He tried again two years into office for the Fourth of July, but backed off. The vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time reportedly told Trump that a military parade was “what dictators do,” while leaked cost estimates in the tens of millions of dollars persuaded Trump to accept a rally speech with military equipment parked in front of him instead.
After returning to office despite his attempted self-coup and the criminal prosecutions it triggered, though, Trump did not back away from his desire for a military parade this time.
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