Overview

• The U.S. Army will hold a 250th anniversary military parade on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on June 14, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
• The ceremony will feature roughly 6,700 troops, 28 M1 Abrams tanks, 50 helicopters, 34 horses, two mules, a military dog and a Golden Knights parachute team tasked with presenting a flag to President Trump.
• Organizers estimate the parade will cost between $25 million and $45 million, prompting concern over the use of taxpayer funds during ongoing federal budget cuts.
• Representative Steve Cohen has introduced the HAPPY BIRTHDAY Budget Act to block funding for the event while VoteVets described it as “authoritarian cosplay” financed by American taxpayers.
• The event’s designation as a National Special Security Event requires extensive security planning, road closures and increased federal coordination throughout downtown Washington.