Overview

• Steve Cheung, the White House communications director, posted on X that over 250,000 patriots attended President Trump’s parade in Washington, D.C.
• MSNBC reporter Vaughan Hilyard, who covered the event live, said grandstands were only partially full and many attendees left before Trump spoke.
• Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot analyzed official permits and media reports and concluded that claims of 250,000 attendees appear exaggerated.
• Permits authorized up to 200,000 people for the parade and 50,000 for the adjacent festival, but sources like PBS and KTLA reported turnout below 200,000.
• Simultaneous 'No Kings' demonstrations drew hundreds of thousands of protesters in cities and small towns across all 50 states.