Massive Army 250 parade takes over DC on Trump birthday

The Herald Scotland

15-06-2025

Critics say the $40 million parade represents an alarming politicization of the military and bears eerie resemblance to military parades held by North Korea or Russia. Thousands of "No Kings" protests against Trump, the parade, and his ongoing immigration crackdown are also scheduled across the country.
Although weather forecasts predict possible thunderstorms on the evening of June 14 in the nation's capital, the Trump administration has not announced any contingency plan for a rained-out parade.
Whatever you might think of Saturday's parade, there's no question D.C. streets will feel the weight.
The Army has made special preparations to minimize damage to the roadways as tons of vehicles and artillery will be coming through the nation's capitol, such as:
The M1A2/Abrams tank : Arguably, the most impressive and fearsome weapon in the parade, or pretty much anywhere at 70 tons, the tank entered Army service 45 years ago and first saw combat in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. It carries a 120mm cannon, robust armor and has a top speed of 45 mph.
: Arguably, the most impressive and fearsome weapon in the parade, or pretty much anywhere at 70 tons, the tank entered Army service 45 years ago and first saw combat in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. It carries a 120mm cannon, robust armor and has a top speed of 45 mph. Stryker vehicle : Variants of these eight-wheeled, armored vehicles can carry infantry soldiers, mortars, command posts and act as ambulances. Strykers can carry up to 11 soldiers and reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.
: Variants of these eight-wheeled, armored vehicles can carry infantry soldiers, mortars, command posts and act as ambulances. Strykers can carry up to 11 soldiers and reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. The AH-64 Apache: This attack helicopter cuts a menacing silhouette. It destroyed radar installations in Iraq during Desert Storm and provided air cover for convoys and troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.
-- Phillip M. Bailey
Saturday's parade might may also draw attention to Trump being the oldest commander-in-chief in U.S. history.
Born June 14, 1946, when Harry Truman was president, he set the record for oldest person to take office at 78 years and 7 months, ahead of Joe Biden, who was 78 years and 2 months when he took office in January 2021.
The age of American elected officials has been a topic of concern lately, mostly due to questions raised around Biden's acuity that hounded him for most of his term. Democrats have tried to do the same to Trump, such as when he mixed up the Japanese car company Nissan and the Japanese steel company Nippon last month.
"He is not the same person that I dealt with just four years ago, and he's incapable of even a train of thought," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said of Trump in a recent interview.
But that narrative hasn't stuck to Trump, who is known to ramble in public speeches but comes off as more vigorous to the public than Biden did.
-- Phillip M. Bailey
Washington's weather forecast for the day of the parade shows a high of 83 degrees, with showers beginning in the late morning and possible thunderstorms after 2 p.m. local time.
After 6 p.m., when the parade will kick off, forecasters predict a 75% chance of precipitation and some chance of thunder.
The Army said on June 13 that the weather is "being closely monitored and taken into consideration, but at this point nothing has changed."
More than 1,800 "No Kings" protests against the parade, Trump, and what protesters call his authoritarian policies, are scheduled in cities and towns throughout the world - but not Washington.
Trump first said on June 10 that protests would be met with "very big force." The White House backtracked days later, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump "of course" supports peaceful protests.
Other demonstrators have kept their plans in Washington on the day of the parade, with some fearing a crackdown like the response to protests against widescale deportations in Los Angeles.