America was already divided – Trump's $69m military extravaganza did not help
The Washington procession, with more than 6000 soldiers and 128 Army tanks, was one that Trump tried to make happen in his first term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017, but the plans never came together until this year.
On Washington's Constitution Avenue, Ken Cooper stood back from the crowd with his fellow members of the Catholic Worker Movement, holding a sign that said: 'Real kings don't need tanks'.
'Mr Trump has crossed the line a thousand times, and he needs to be stopped,' Cooper said. 'We don't want a dictator, we just want a president who follows the rules. All rules.
'$45 million being spent on his freaking birthday in a world of starving children? I'm going to use the word sin. That is sinful. And now they're going to cut the healthcare of Americans and everything else? We're turning on our allies, including the Aussies. Shame on Donald Trump.'
Others felt the occasion should not be regarded as political. Jacob Young, a former US Marine raised in Michigan, watched proudly as infantry divisions marched down the street. He wore a sleeveless onesie in the design of the American flag.
'I'm just coming out to support fellow veterans,' Young said. 'They certainly can [protest], I mean, it's America and that's something that we're good at. I don't think too many people are protesting the parade and the army itself, but maybe the expenses that it's causing and just any personal pride that Trump is trying to get from it. But we're really out here for the army.'
Helmeted tank drivers smiled and waved enthusiastically at the crowd as they rolled past, while those watching clapped and cheered each marching unit. Some waved American flags, as well as a new flag commemorating the army's 250th anniversary.
Trump's obsession with crowd sizes ensured extra attention was paid to the number of attendees at the parade, especially after the day's protests drew such large numbers to the streets.
In the area where this correspondent stood, people lined the fence about four or five deep, though footage of the front stage appeared to show thin crowds that failed to meet expectations. Drizzle, and the threat of a later storm, did not help, and led organisers to start the event half an hour early.
Ultimately, crowd sizes have proven to be an unreliable indicator of American public sentiment over the years.
On stage, Trump at times stood and saluted as troops marched past the reviewing stand. He was joined by First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and many other dignitaries.
The president spoke briefly from behind bulletproof glass just before sunset, heaping praise on the US Army, which he called the most fearsome and feared military force the world had ever seen.
'Every other country celebrates their victories, it's about time America did too,' Trump said. 'We are the hottest country in the world right now, and our country will soon be stronger and greater than ever before.'
For once, Trump stuck to his script and did not indulge in political commentary, unlike a recent speech to troops at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. After he left the microphone, some members of the crowd sang Happy Birthday to You. Later, country music singer Lee Greenwood performed God Bless the USA, which was Trump's campaign theme song, and fireworks rang out over Washington.
The spectacle may have been designed for television, but not all stations decided to show it live. Conservative networks Fox News and Newsmax showed the full event, but CNN and MSNBC did not, although they provided occasional coverage.
Afterwards, an effusive Fox News anchor Lawrence Jones predicted the parade would lead military recruitment to increase tenfold. 'There is no doubt in my mind that this will go down in history as the moment that lit a match in this country,' he said.
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