Overview

• The June 14 event marked the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and President Trump’s 79th birthday at an estimated cost of $50 million.
• Bleachers along Constitution Avenue remained largely empty as troops marched out of sync and robot dogs accompanied tanks in drizzly weather.
• ‘No Kings’ demonstrations attracted millions nationwide and drew clear contrasts between protest turnout and parade attendance.
• Biographer Michael Wolff says Trump rebuked Hegseth in a phone call, complaining the procession lacked the menacing force he had envisioned.
• White House communications director Steven Cheung dismissed Wolff’s account as fabricated, calling the author a “lying sack of s***.”