The 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army is being celebrated today with a massive parade. There are events planned throughout the day in Washington, DC, but the parade is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. EST.
President Donald Trump said of the event, “For two and a half centuries, our brave soldiers have fought, bled, and died to keep us FREE, and now we will honor them with a wonderful Parade, one that is worthy of their service and sacrifice."
Trump, whose 79th birthday coincides with the Army celebration, has received criticism over the parade, including from Democrats who say the event is to celebrate himself.
"It’s a vulgar display. It is the kind of thing you see Kim Jong-un, you see it Putin, you see with dictators around the world that are weak and just want to demonstrate strength," said California Governor Gavin Newsom. "Weakness masquerading as strength. To fete the dear leader on his birthday? What an embarrassment."
Newsom is in the middle of a political and legal battle with Trump. A federal judge said the president's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles to quell immigration protests was illegal. An appeals court has temporarily blocked the judge's order.
"Trump is throwing himself a $30 million birthday parade just to stroke his own ego," Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said on X. "If it was really about celebrating military families, we could put $30 million toward helping them offset the cost of their child care, food assistance and tuition."
When factoring in security and other expenses, the projected price tag is $45 million+.
Christopher Purdy, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, called the parade a facade that paints over some of the Republican president’s policies that have targeted military veterans and current service members, including cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Purdy, who spoke to the Associated Press, said the parade will needlessly display U.S. military might.
Some weather forecasters are predicting the possibility of rain in the DC area today.
Mother Nature isn't the only one threatening to rain on Trump's parade. Millions are expected to protest in what organizers predict will be the strongest display of opposition to Trump’s administration since he returned to the White House.
Thousands of protests across all 50 states are planned through the No Kings movement, which organizers say seeks to reject “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.”
Trump has warned that protesters who show up to the parade will be met with “very big force.”
However, not everyone disagrees with Trump's military parade. Among those attending will be some of the president's most devoted House supporters, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. “Yes, of course,” she said earlier this week. “I’m going to be there for the 250th anniversary of the Army.”
The last time Washington, DC hosted a military parade was in 1991, to celebrate victory in the first Gulf War.
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