Saturday’s Army celebration in Washington, D.C., was likely almost everything President Donald Trump hoped for: troops and military equipment parading down streets for the first time since 1991.
But the event was overshadowed by massive protests against his administration, apparent political violence in Minnesota and ongoing unrest over his policies — none of which received a mention in Trump’s remarks.
Instead, he celebrated an event he has dreamed of for years. Supporters of the Army and of the president lined the streets and crowded the Washington monument to catch a glimpse of Abrams battle tanks, Apache attack helicopters and military personnel. The crowd appeared to fall short of estimates of as many as 200,000 attendees.
Trump, seated between first lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, observed from a structure in front of the White House on Constitution Avenue. He delivered a speech praising the Army for its might.
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“It’s done so well. It’s done so much, and sent the devil himself flying into full retreat,” Trump said. “Time and again, America’s enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you. Your defeat will be certain. Your demise will be final, and your downfall will be total and complete.”
Trump, who turned 79 on Saturday, was wished a happy birthday by Vice President JD Vance and event performers.
There was no mention of the violence in Minnesota, where two Democratic state lawmakers and their spouses were shot early Saturday in what Gov. Tim Walz said appeared to be politically motivated attacks. State Rep. Melissa Hortman, the former House speaker, and her husband Mark Hortman died in the shootings. The president released a statement earlier in the day and called the violence “horrific.”
He also said nothing about violence in the Middle East, where fighting between Israel and Iran continued to escalate throughout the day.
And there was no mention of the massive “No Kings” rallies happening nationwide, which organizers said gathered millions of people.
But in almost every interview and conversation NOTUS had with event attendees, issues at home and abroad came up unprompted. Many of these attendees traveled to the District of Columbia for the event.
“With all the turmoil going on right now, where people are protesting — it’s important for them to remember why they’re able to dislike things and have the freedom to do that,” said Anna Bryant, a Trump supporter and a resident of Satellite Beach, Florida.
At the 250th Army Celebration, demonstrators were few, dwarfed by the crowd of attendees and supporters. The Secret Service estimated “hundreds of thousands” of people would attend; NOTUS requested official attendance numbers from event organizers but did not get a response to the inquiry.
One protester said he was there as a veteran to express his opposition.
“As my sign says, you know, Trump believes our soldiers are suckers and losers, and that affected me quite a bit,” Ken West of Terlingua, Texas, said, referencing reports that Trump denigrated soldiers (the president denies making these remarks). “That’s why, you know, a lot of veterans don’t look very favorably upon him as a community and a leader. They want to be in the military. They want to do their job. They do not want to be used as a political pawn.”
Other veterans previously expressed concerns to NOTUS that the president politicizes the military.
The event was big and costly — the Army estimates that its portion of the parade will cost between $25 and $45 million dollars. It was a massive inter-agency law enforcement undertaking: the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Secret Service were all involved in the planning. Military personnel, TSA agents, Department of Treasury officers and others helped manage the festival where lines stretched the length of the mall, and the parade.
Sharon S., a Jamaican immigrant of Ashburn, Virginia, who requested to only be identified by her first name, told NOTUS she was fine with her tax dollars going toward the Army. After all, she said, America spends more money on immigrants who come into the country without authorization.
“I pay taxes. And if they take some of it to honor the men and women — I’m OK with that,” she said.
The multimillion dollar price tag didn’t phase her.
“Ain’t nothing cheap in America, honey,” she said.
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Violet Jira is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.
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