Military Parade Marks U.S. Army’s 250th Anniversary Amid Nationwide ‘No Kings’ Protests

A grand military parade rolled through Washington, D.C., on Saturday evening, June 14, 2025, to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. The event featured over 6,000 soldiers, 128 tanks, and a display of military hardware along Constitution Avenue, from the Lincoln Memorial to near the White House, concluding around 7:30 p.m.

Despite heavy cloud cover and light drizzle, the parade proceeded with limited aircraft participation. President Trump, who had long sought such a show of military might since seeing a similar event in Paris in 2017, praised the troops and saluted as they marched past.

The parade was part of a broader day-long festival on the National Mall, including music and fireworks, with an estimated cost between $25 million and $45 million, drawing criticism over the expense amid federal budget cuts.

Simultaneously, hundreds of protests erupted across the United States under the banner “No Kings,” opposing what demonstrators described as authoritarian tendencies in Trump’s administration. Protesters in Washington carried signs denouncing the parade as fascist and criticized the use of military forces in immigration enforcement, particularly in Los Angeles where Marines guarded federal buildings amid immigration protests.

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The “No Kings” protests, held in hundreds of cities, aimed to defend democracy and reject perceived attempts by Trump to elevate his personal power. In Washington, protesters wielded Pride flags and caricatures of Trump, including a large puppet depicting him as a king on a golden toilet.

While the parade attracted thousands, turnout was reportedly lower than early projections of up to 200,000, possibly due to weather and the controversial nature of the event.