Did Military Parade Crowd Leave En Masse? What We Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Some spectators exited Saturday's U.S. Army's 250th-anniversary parade early, cutting short their attendance at the milestone celebration in Washington D.C., according to reports.
Why It Matters
The parade represented the largest show of military might in the capital since at least 1991, according to CNN.
Rallies against President Donald Trump's leadership took place across the country on Saturday, coinciding with the parade, which also fell on the president's 79th birthday. "I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday," he said.
Large-scale gatherings were reported in major cities such as Philadelphia; Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and New York.
President Donald Trump stands and salutes troops during the celebration of the Army's 250th birthday on the National Mall on June 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
President Donald Trump stands and salutes troops during the celebration of the Army's 250th birthday on the National Mall on June 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images
What To Know
NBC Washington reported that "a large number of people" made an early exit, with its journalists capturing on video a "logjam" as spectators attempted to leave the secured area. The outlet said that the event's heavy security restricted the Mall's secure zone to two exits.
The New York Times' White House correspondent Shawn McCreesh reported that "hordes of people" streamed east across the mall to leave, a report which Raw Story said was posted before Trump and Vice President JD Vance had begun to deliver remarks.
"Where's everybody going?" a man next to McCreesh said, according to the reporter.
John Ismay, also with the Times, described the crowd and parade as "pretty listless and low-energy," adding that Trump apparel was far more prevalent than Army hats and shirts among attendees.
But Steven Cheung, White House director of communications said that some 250,000 people attended.
The event went ahead in spite of grim weather forecasts for the day, with meteorologists warning there was a chance the D.C. area could see showers and thunderstorms.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Saturday: "What a GREAT Parade. THANK YOU, ARMY!"
Trump had posted earlier: "OUR GREAT MILITARY PARADE IS ON, RAIN OR SHINE. REMEMBER, A RAINY DAY PARADE BRINGS GOOD LUCK. I'LL SEE YOU ALL IN D.C."
White House director of communications Steven Cheung said on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: "Amazing. Despite the threat of rain, over 250,000 patriots showed up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. God Bless the USA!"
The U.S. Army posted on X, Saturday: "Thank you for today America. The mission continues to serve you for the next 250 years."
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman on X: "This parade is comprised of our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers—the very best of us. Regardless of your politics, it's appropriate to celebrate the 250 years of sacrifice, dedication and service."
What Happens Next
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email, outside of standard working hours on Sunday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Starmer confident Trump will back Aukus pact after US launches review
Sir Keir Starmer said he is confident Donald Trump will back a nuclear submarine pact with the UK and Australia after America launched a review of the multibillion-pound deal. Speaking to reporters ahead of the G7 summit in Canada, the Prime Minister said he did not have 'any doubt' that the agreement would progress. The trilateral Aukus partnership, believed to be aimed at countering China, involves building a new fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines and co-operating in other areas of defence. Australia would also get its first subs from the US under the deal. Asked what his message to the US president would be on the importance of the pact, Sir Keir, who is due to meet Mr Trump in Kananaskis next week, said: 'Aukus is really important. We're fully committed to it.' Sir Keir added it was 'not unusual for an incoming government to do a review of a project like that', and that Labour had done similar. 'We, of course, looked into the issue when we came into government.. But I'm 100% committed to it. I'm really clear about that.' Asked if he was confident Mr Trump would back it, he said: 'Yeah, I think so. It's a really important project. So I don't have any doubt that this will progress.' Confirming the review on Thursday, the White House said it wanted to make sure the pact was 'aligned with the president's America First agenda.'
New York Post
17 minutes ago
- New York Post
Amid storm of protests, slim majority favors Trump's approach to immigration: poll
Despite weekend protests that swept the country and recent rioting that dogged Los Angeles, a slim majority of voters still favor President Trump's handling of immigration, a new poll found. Although nearly tied, Trump notched a 51% approval to 49% disapproval rating for his performance on border security and immigration issues, an NBC News Decision Desk survey found. Earlier this month, riots broke out in Los Angeles after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted operations in the country's second-largest city. That prompted Trump to federalize and deploy California's National Guard. Advertisement Then, this weekend, progressive groups orchestrated national protests, fueled by the Army's 250th anniversary parade, though immigration dominated many of those demonstrations. Last week, Trump teased plans to recalibrate his immigration approach and concentrate on deporting criminals rather than service workers who are residing in the country illegally. 4 Immigration has long been one of President Trump's strongest issues. REUTERS Advertisement 4 White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller has widely been seen as a driving force for the administration's tough on immigration policies. Getty Images Immigration remains Trump's strongest issue, according to the poll. His overall approval rating clocked in at 45% approve to 55% disapprove, which mirrors the outlet's findings in April. The poll also pegged internal Republican divisions over the precise goal of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, mirroring some of the internal friction within the congressional GOP. In a near tie, 40% of respondents wanted the emphasis to be on 'ensuring that the national debt is reduced,' while 39% wanted to focus on tax reduction and 21% prioritized maintaining current spending levels on Medicaid, the poll found. Advertisement A majority of both Independents (53%) and Democrats (79%) wanted the emphasis to be on maintaining Medicaid levels. Overall, the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would raise the national deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate. The measure slashes spending, primarily on Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), by a net $1.25 trillion as an offset to the tax cuts. 4 Many protests over the weekend railed against ICE specifically. Zuma / Advertisement Several fiscal hawks in the Senate, such as Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have pushed for more cuts. Concern about the legislative bundle's impact on the deficit led to a scorched-earth tirade from tech mogul Elon Musk against President Trump earlier this month. The House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slaps work requirements onto Medicaid, which provides health insurance to over 70 million low-income Americans. Coupled with other modifications to Medicaid, Republicans are eyeing around $700 billion in savings from the program over a 10-year period. Upwards of 7.8 million Americans could lose their health insurance due to the reforms, the Congressional Budget Office has projected. 4 Congressional Republicans are working to get the One Big Beautiful Bill Act across the finish line. AP The Medicaid provisions have proven to be a sticking point for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and have drawn scrutiny from Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) as the Senate GOP mulls the mammoth bill. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is intended to be Trump's signature legislative achievement. GOP leadership is hoping to get the megabill to Trump's desk by the Fourth of July, though that timeframe looks increasingly tough to achieve. Advertisement This week, key Senate committees are set to unveil revised versions of the bill. After it clears the Senate, it will need to go back through the House before it can get to Trump's desk. The NBC News Decision Desk Poll sampled 19,410 adults between May 30 and June 10 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.
Associated Press
24 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Photos of anti-Trump ‘No Kings' demonstrations across the US
Demonstrators gathered in parks and plazas across the U.S. to protest against President Donald Trump. The 'No Kings' rallies were organized in nearly 2,000 locations nationwide, including cities, towns, and community spaces. These protests followed recent unrest over federal immigration raids and Trump's deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, where tensions escalated with protesters blocking a freeway and setting vehicles on fire. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
