Thousands of U.S. troops, tanks, and helicopters will march through Washington, D.C. on Saturday in a large-scale military parade marking the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
Set to begin with a fitness competition and end with fireworks, the event, will feature 6,700 soldiers, M1A2 Abrams tanks and flyovers by Black Hawk and Apache helicopters. Trump will supervise enlistment ceremonies and receive a flag from the Golden Knights.
“I think it’s time for us to celebrate a little bit,” Trump said, denying the parade was birthday-related and pointing to its overlap with Flag Day.
The $25–$45 million event has drawn criticism from D.C. officials over road closures, flight delays and possible infrastructure damage. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton called it “a performative military parade in the style of authoritarian leaders.”
