Washington is gearing up for an extraordinary display of military might on Saturday with a parade and festival to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Army — a day that’s also President Trump’s 79th birthday.
The event has drawn fire for its expected cost as well as its timing, with critics deeming it another example of how Trump has politicized the armed forces. Trump has maintained that the parade is well worth the cost, predicting a boost in Army recruiting.
The parade will be followed by a concert and fireworks, and will be streamed live by The Hill starting at 6 p.m.
Here are five things to know.
Hefty price tag draws criticism
The Army has estimated the parade will cost $25 to $45 million, although that doesn’t include costs for cleanup, police, and damage to city streets.
Six in 10 adults in a nationwide AP-NORC poll conducted between June 5 and June 9 said that the parade was not a good use of government funds. However, 40 percent of people approved of Trump’s decision to hold a parade, a larger proportion than the 29 percent who disapproved.
A few Republicans have joined Democrats in publicly criticizing the cost and necessity of the parade. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) raised concerns last week following a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said he wouldn’t have held the parade.
“We’re a lion, and a lion doesn’t have to tell you it’s a lion,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said on Tuesday. “I would save the money, but if the president wants to have a parade, he’s the president, and I’m not.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has been the most outspoken Republican against the plans, telling reporters this week he’s “never been a big fan of goose-stepping soldiers and big tanks and missiles rolling down the street.”
Other members of the GOP, however, have skirted the question or deferred to Trump.
Most GOP senators plan to skip
A defense contractor convention in Paris, a move between homes and a wedding anniversary are among the reasons many Republican lawmakers won’t be attending the parade, Politico reported on Tuesday.
Out of 50 congresspeople that the outlet surveyed, only seven said they planned to attend, including MAGA devotees Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.).
The missing names include notables such as Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.).
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the chair of the Armed Services Committee, will be at the Paris Air Show, a major gathering for defense contractors. Wicker previously expressed concerns over the event’s price tag.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters he is moving homes on Saturday and will not be at the event. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) plans to celebrate his wedding anniversary.
Scripps asked all 53 Republican senators if they planned to attend the parade; only 9 said they would be there, while 41 said they would not.
A White House official told Politico that at least 15 Cabinet members, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, will be in attendance.
Protests planned nationwide
About 1,500 protests organized with the “No Kings” movement are expected to take place nationwide on Saturday, with rallies planned in most major cities.
Organizers have chosen not to hold a protest in Washington, D.C., citing a desire to redirect attention elsewhere.
“Instead of allowing this birthday parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption,” they wrote.
Similarly, some of the protests are being organized as fairs or festivals; the demonstration in Boston is being planned in coordination with the city’s Pride parade.
Trump has threatened potential protesters in Washington, D.C., with “very big force,” though his press secretary snapped at a reporter who asked if Trump respected the right to peaceful protest, saying he did.
The parade follows a week of anti-ICE demonstrations that began in Los Angeles and have since spread to other cities. The protests in Los Angeles have prompted an extraordinary response from the White House, which has deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city over objections from local and state officials.
“No Kings” is not the only group planning demonstrations on Saturday.
The Women’s March, which organized potentially record protests during Trump’s first term, is planning a series of demonstrations branded “Kick Out the Clowns.” They have also opted to skip the nation’s capital, instead hosting their main rally in Madison, Wis.
In some locations, the “No Kings” and “Kick Out the Clowns” protests are being hosted together.
Flight disruptions, road closures
Numerous roads downtown will be closed for the event’s sizable security perimeter. The closures include the 12th Street Expressway, the Constitution Avenue entrance to the 9th Street Expressway and Rock Creek Parkway south of Virginia Avenue.
A number of bus routes will be delayed or diverted due to the road closures, but the Metro will run a normal Saturday schedule (although the northwest entrance to the Smithsonian Metro station will be closed).
Ronald Reagan International Airport will face disruptions, with the Federal Aviation Administration announcing Wednesday that it would halt flights at the airport between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. to accommodate flyovers for the event.
Most major airlines are offering travelers flexibility. Southwest, American, and United are allowing free rescheduling or changes to Dulles International Airport or Baltimore/Washington International Airport.
First DC military parade in 34 years
The last military parade in D.C. was a victory celebration for the end of the first Gulf War, including Operation Desert Storm.
It featured 8,000 troops as well as weapons and tanks used in the war and cost around $12 million. The U.S. Park Police estimated at the time that 200,000 people saw the parade, with around 800,000 present in the National Mall area.
Saturday’s parade, which has a $45 million price tag, will actually be smaller-scale in terms of personnel, with 6,600 troops expected. Officials have projected attendance in the general hundreds of thousands.
Trump mulled the idea of a military parade during his first term and said he was inspired by seeing a display for France’s national Bastille Day in Paris. But Pentagon officials, including then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, opposed the event.
Trump’s rowdy speech to military members at Fort Bragg on Tuesday escalated concerns about politicization of the military, with soldiers booing President Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and the mainstream press.
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