PoliticsDonald Trump Hosts Controversial Military Parade Amid Domestic Crisis and Global Tensions
President Donald Trump presided over a grand military parade from the White House lawn amid global tensions.
June 16 2025, Published 1:15 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump presided over a military parade at the White House that drew attention not only for its grandeur but also for the turbulent backdrop unfolding in the nation and beyond.
While he refrained from overtly partisan messages, Trump hinted at his past rallying cry, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" following a previous assassination attempt against him.
"Time and again, America's enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you," Trump stated during the event.
The military parade marked the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary and Donald Trump's 79th birthday.
"Your defeat will be certain. Your demise will be final, and your downfall will be total and complete — because our soldiers never give up, never surrender and never ever quit. They fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win," he continued.
The parade took place on a day marked by tragedy, with reports emerging of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband being murdered, while another Democratic official and his spouse were wounded in what authorities classified as a "politically motivated" attack. Additionally, tensions escalated in the Middle East as hostilities erupted between Iran and Israel, further overshadowing the event.
Protesters chanted, 'No kings' during Donald Trump's military parade.
As the parade commenced, protesters gathered across the country, uniting under the rallying cry, "No kings," with tens of thousands showing up in cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
Weather conditions added another layer of challenge, as winds picked up and light rain began to fall just as the tanks were set to roll.
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Originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, the parade started half an hour earlier due to the impending weather, according to a Secret Service official. Army tanks, their treads squeaking against the pavement, trundled along Constitution Avenue as spectators looked on, even as hundreds remained in line two hours later.
Several planned flyovers were canceled due to the weather, but crowds still cheered as helicopters flew in formation overhead. Marking the 250th anniversary of the Army, the parade also coincided with Trump's 79th birthday, leading to criticism that the event celebrated the former president as much as it honored the military. The cost of the parade was estimated at between $25 million and $40 million.
Lawmakers condemned Donald Trump's military event’s timing as insensitive.
After Trump's remarks, the crowd broke into a spirited rendition of "Happy Birthday."
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., a member of the Armed Services Committee, criticized the event's timing: "The whole idea — doing it on Trump's birthday ... we don't do this in America. We do not celebrate individual leaders. We celebrate the Constitution, and we celebrate the country."
Several military flyovers during Donald Trump's parade were scrapped due to poor weather.
Trump, who long desired a military parade after being impressed by the Bastille Day celebration in Paris in 2017, finally saw his vision come to fruition. Despite initial hesitations from his staff citing cost and rarity, history had not witnessed such a display since the end of the first Gulf War in 1991.
However, Trump watched with approval, flanked by first lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as they were met with cheers from the gathered crowd.
