Overview

• President Trump held the parade on June 14 to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and his 79th birthday, spending about $45 million on the event
• Footage of largely empty bleachers contradicted the White House’s claim of 250,000 attendees and fueled praise for late-night hosts who mocked the spectacle
• Nationwide “No Kings” protests drew an estimated 4 to 6 million participants in over 2,000 events across all 50 states to oppose Trump’s policies and perceived authoritarianism
• Trump’s authorization of active-duty troops in Los Angeles to police the protests prompted criticism from civil liberties groups and Democratic lawmakers as an overreach
• Biographers report that Trump berated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the parade’s lack of a “menacing” tone, revealing tension within his administration