The official purpose of President Donald Trump’s military parade, scheduled for June 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C., was to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army. The day was also Trump’s 79th birthday as well as Flag Day. The parade was intended to showcase the president’s vision of American military strength. It featured more than 50 military aircraft, 150 combat vehicles, and about 6,600 soldiers drawn from active-duty units, the reserves, special forces, and the National Guard. Critics argued that the parade risked politicizing national military service and broke with the historical norm of using military parades to celebrate victories in battle.
The U.S. Army estimated that the event would cost between $25 and $45 million (costs included funds to fix any street damage caused by the heavy machinery). When asked about the price tag on NBC News’s Meet the Press, President Trump responded, “Peanuts compared to the value of doing it.”