WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump presided over a parade Saturday celebrating the nation’s military power and history, though the event was shadowed by political violence at home and escalating tensions abroad.
“Every other country celebrates their victories,” Trump said as he took the lectern after the parade ended. “It’s about time America did, too. That’s what we’re doing tonight.”
Prone to delivering long, boastful speeches, Trump kept his remarks brief and made the military the focus. Beforehand, critics had warned he would politicize the event for his own purposes.
Trump avoided any overt partisan messages, though he seemed to allude at one point to his "Fight! Fight! Fight!" exhortation after an assassination attempt against him last year.
"Time and again, America's enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you," Trump said. "Your defeat will be certain. Your demise will be final, and your downfall will be total and complete — because our soldiers never give up, never surrender and never ever quit. They fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win."
Trump’s appearance on the reviewing stand south of the White House capped a harrowing day in which a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were murdered — and another Democratic legislator and his wife were wounded — in what authorities called a “politically motivated” attack.
A shooting war has broken out between two longtime Middle East foes, Iran and Israel. And in a further distraction from the parade Trump had long coveted, protesters around the country rallied against the spectacle, turning out by tens of thousands in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other cities.
Animating the demonstrations was a two-word rallying cry: "No kings."
The weather didn’t fully cooperate, either. The winds picked up and a light drizzle commenced just as the tanks were about to roll.
The parade was supposed to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, but it was moved up a half hour in deference to the weather, a Secret Service official said. Army tanks, their treads squeaking against the pavement, trundled along Constitution Avenue under an intermittent drizzle. Hundreds of people were still stuck in line, even as the parade was coming to a close two hours later.
Some of the planned flyovers had to be canceled. Still, the crowd gathered on the National Mall looked up appreciatively as helicopters flew overhead in formation.
The parade came on the 250th anniversary of the Army and, as it happens, Trump’s 79th birthday. The timing sparked criticism that the parade was intended as much a celebration of one man as it was the Army. The military estimated the cost at $25 million to $40 million.
The crowd broke out into a chorus of “Happy Birthday” after Trump’s remarks Saturday night.
"The whole idea — doing it on Trump's birthday ... we don't do this in America," said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., a member of the Armed Services Committee. "We do not celebrate individual leaders. We celebrate the Constitution, and we celebrate the country."
Trump had long pined for a military parade, having been impressed with the Bastille Day celebration he saw in Paris in 2017, the first year of his last term, a former White House official said. His staff put off the idea, citing the cost and the rarity of such spectacles. The last time the nation showed off its military hardware in such fashion came in 1991, at the end of the first Gulf War.
Trump watched approvingly from a viewing stand, flanked by first lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. All were cheered by the crowd.
The commander in chief saluted the flag during the national anthem and the troops as they marched past.
If Trump hoped the parade would be a unifying moment for the country, the run-up to the event underscored America’s divisions.
The week began with Trump deploying California National Guard troops to counter protests of immigration raids in the Los Angeles area. It ended with the shootings in Minnesota. An FBI manhunt was underway for the suspect after the attacks on the two Democratic state lawmakers and their spouses. State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed.
Vice President JD Vance called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — his opponent in last year’s vice presidential debate — to express condolences, a source familiar with the call told NBC News. But Walz didn’t hear from Trump, a source close to Walz said.
The crowd built slowly on the Mall in the humid afternoon hours, with rain threatening throughout. People strolled among the monuments, some wearing shirts displaying the American flag, others sporting Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” hats. Massive video screens were erected to give the crowd a better view.
Security was especially tight amid the combustible political environment. Sharpshooters took positions atop buildings along the parade route, and people entering the Mall were screened for weapons.
Two lonely protesters sat next to each other near the Washington Monument, clutching signs disparaging Trump. Neither gave their names, saying they feared reprisals.
A man wearing a “Dump Trump” hat who identified himself only as Mike said in an interview: “This is a completely inappropriate use of our military. This is a $50 million boondoggle for his birthday. It’s a complete waste of everybody’s time and money, and it’s all to feed his ego.”
A woman sitting next to him said the parade "reeks of North Korea," a dictatorship.
Several in the crowd said their attendance shouldn’t be viewed as support for Trump.
“Just my nation,” said Chris, who declined to give his last name.
Tasha Etienne, who came from Maryland, said she was there to support her son, a soldier who was involved in some of the logistical planning.
“I’m here because he and several other men and women have sacrificed their lives with their families and all these things for the past 250 years to support this country,” Etienne said. “That’s why I’m here.”
Referring to Trump, she added: “His birthday just happens to be today.”
Another attendee, Scott M., who declined to give his full last name, said he is a Democrat who supported former Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., for president in 2028.
“Not a fan [of Trump], but I also think that the presidency deserves respect, and it was going to be the 250th birthday of the Army whoever was president,” he said. “There have been talks of having an event like this for a long time, so I just think it’s good to respect and honor the Army and not have to make it as political.”
