Key Points – President Donald Trump is set to realize his long-held ambition for a large-scale military parade in Washington D.C. on June 14th, coinciding with the US Army’s 250th anniversary, Flag Day, and his own 79th birthday.
-The nighttime event is projected to cost $25-$45 million (or more, according to critics) and feature 28 Abrams tanks, 6,700 soldiers, and 50 aircraft.
-While Trump touts it as a “big, big celebration,” the parade faces significant criticism as wasteful, unpatriotic, and reminiscent of authoritarian displays, with nationwide “NO KINGS” protests planned by opponents.
The Big Trump Military Parade Is Coming Soon
Donald Trump, since his first term, has been dreaming about hosting a military parade.
Per the New York Times, Trump was inspired in his first term by a visit to France, when he attended a Bastille Day celebration and wanted to bring a similar idea back home. The Pentagon opposed the idea, wanting to keep the military out of politics, with then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis declaring that he would “rather swallow acid” than allow such a thing, according to a memoir by Mattis’ speechwriter.
But now, in his second term, Trump is getting his military parade– and it’s even going to happen on the president’s birthday, which doubles as the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, and also Flag Day. The parade will take place at night.
According to the Times, the June 14 parade will include “28 Abrams tanks, 6,700 soldiers, 50 helicopters, 34 horses, two mules and a dog.” The Army estimates that the parade will cost between $25 million and $45 million, although that doesn’t include costs for potential cleanup of city streets. The parade route will begin near Arlington National Cemetery, will cross the bridge into Washington, and end on the National Mall.
“A Big, Big Celebration”
“We’re going to have a big, big celebration, as you know, 250 years,” the president said Monday, Memorial Day, when he visited Arlington. “In some ways I’m glad I missed that second term where it was because I wouldn’t be your president for that.”
The Hill reported on what the parade will look like.
“The president will observe the parade from a viewing stand set up on Constitution Avenue near the White House. Paratroopers from the Army’s Golden Knights are expected to land on the Ellipse and hand the president an American flag,” The Hill said. “And Trump will deliver remarks, which the White House said will celebrate 250 years of the Army’s ‘exceptional service, significant achievements, and enduring legacy.’”
Trump, earlier this week, boasted that the military parade “blows everything away, including the World Cup and including the Olympics.” Both of those events will be held in the United States during Trump’s term, with the World Cup coming to different U.S. venues in 2026 and the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Criticisms of the Parade
Protests are planned for the parade, and opponents are calling it the ‘NO KINGS’ Nationwide Day of Defiance. The protests are not only in Washington, but around the country.
“The actions are set to take place during Donald Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C., on June 14. Instead of allowing this military parade to be the center of gravity, activists will make action everywhere else the story of America that day,” the website of the protests says.
“Alongside local organizers, partners, and leaders from across the pro-democracy and pro-worker movements, activists across the country will come together for marches, rallies, and demonstrations to reject corrupt, authoritarian politics in the United States.”
Others have called the idea wasteful, especially in the age of DOGE. One op-ed, meanwhile, calls it unpatriotic.
According to an editorial published Monday by H. James Hulton III in the Pennsylvania newspaper Patriot News, the parade is a bad idea.
“As a proud Air Force veteran who served during the Vietnam War Era, I believe deeply in honoring our country, our flag, and — most of all — the men and women who serve in uniform,” Hulton writes. “But spending between $92 million and $100 million of taxpayer money on a military parade for Donald Trump’s 79th birthday on June 14th? That’s not patriotism.”
Hulton also criticized Trump for appropriating Flag Day for his own ends.
“Massive military parades are not American traditions — they are hallmarks of authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Afghanistan. These displays are not meant to celebrate national pride but to elevate one man above all others.”
About the Author
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter
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