Topline
The White House is planning a military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday on June 14, but insists it isn’t to celebrate Trump’s 79th and instead will mark the 250th anniversary of the Army, which falls on the same day.
President Donald Trump delivers commencement remarks at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, … More
Key Facts
The White House is planning a military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday on June 14, but insists it isn’t to celebrate Trump’s 79th and instead will mark the 250th anniversary of the Army, which falls on the same day.
Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also confirmed the parade plans to Fox News, with Hegseth saying it would be “the biggest and most beautiful military parade in our nation’s history.”
Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also confirmed the parade plans to Fox News, with Hegseth saying it would be “the biggest and most beautiful military parade in our nation’s history.”
Documents obtained by the Associated Press detail plans for elaborate fanfare, including a festival on the National Mall, with the parade featuring at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and thousands of civilians, likely costing tens of millions of dollars, according to the AP, though a White House official told Forbes it couldn’t confirm those specific details.
The Golden Knights will perform a parachute jump, seven Army bands will perform and civilian participants will operate historical vehicles and aircraft, according to the documents obtained by the AP, which reportedly cite concerns about security and where troops would be housed.
The parade will reportedly begin in Arlington, cross the Potomac River and end in Washington.
Trump has long aspired to have a military parade, but the idea was shot down during his first term amid concerns about cost, logistics and potential damage to the roads in Washington from the military vehicles.
What To Watch For
Plans have yet to be finalized, the AP reported Thursday, citing an Army spokesperson.
Key Background
Plans for the Army birthday festival had been in the works under Biden when discussions began recently about adding a parade. Trump first floated the idea in 2017, when he said during a meeting with French President Emanuel Macron the country’s Bastille Day parade inspired him to want to host something similar as a show of military strength to coincide with Veterans Day, with cost estimates nearing $100 million. Washington, D.C., MayorMariel Bowser said last month the Trump administration had reached out to her office about the parade and expressed concerns about potential road damage.
Further Reading
Army plans for potential parade on Trump’s birthday call for 6,600 soldiers, AP learns (Associated Press)
Pentagon says Trump ordered Washington military parade (Associated Press)
Trump blames DC, as military parade plans unravel over costs (Associated Press)
