Trump's $45 million military parade on track despite GOP grumbles about cost

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Jun 11, 2025

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President Donald Trump’s big birthday military parade is moving forward this Saturday evening despite divisions in the ranks and even some grumbling from Republican allies.

The parade, which is expected to draw 200,000 spectators to the streets of Washington, D.C., celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army but also comes on Trump’s 79th birthday, raising complaints from some that its real purpose is to embellish his strongman image.

The Army says the parade will cost up to $45 million.

Trump has warned that any protests at the parade, including those targeting his immigration crackdown, would be met by “very big force.”

The parade is expected to feature 6,600 troops, including soldiers dressed in uniforms from every conflict the U.S. has fought, from the Revolutionary War to the present day. Two dozen M1 Abrams main battle tanks and 150 vehicles will roll down Constitution Ave.

Trump, speaking to thousands of G.I.s at Fort Bragg Tuesday, said the parade would allow the military to “show off a little bit.”

“We’re going to celebrate our greatness and our achievements,” he said. “This week, we honor 250 years of valor and glory and triumph by the greatest fighting force ever to walk the face of the Earth: the United States Army.”

Few Republican lawmakers are expected at the event, with just seven of 50 GOP members of Congress surveyed by Politico saying they plan to attend.

“I’ve never been a fan of goose-stepping soldiers,” said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a fiscal conservative who sometimes feuds with Trump.

“I would save the money,” added Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.

Security will be tight for the event with Reagan National Airport set to be closed. More than 18 miles of “anti-scale fencing” would be erected, along with 175 metal detectors placed along the parade route and “multiple drones” flown over Washington.

The Army birthday celebration was planned for months. But this spring, Trump announced his intention to transform the event that coincides with his birthday and Flag Day into a massive military parade, a display of patriotism he hoped to stage during his first term in the White House.

Critics, including some veterans, say the parade amounts to little more than a wasteful display of personal loyalty to Trump.

Some protests are expected, including a mass march to the White House. With the immigration-related clashes roiling Los Angeles, officials say they are shifting to higher alert for Saturday.

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