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USA Today
a day ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Get ready for more 250th birthday parties: Next year marks the semiquincentennial
Get ready for more 250th birthday parties: Next year marks the semiquincentennial Show Caption Hide Caption Army Golden Knights parachute team practices for military parade The Army's Golden Knights parachute team has been preparing for months to perform at the 250th anniversary military parade. As Washington, D.C. completes final preparations for the Saturday, June 14 military parade and day-long festival marking the U.S. Army's 250thanniversary, there's a bigger, grander birthday celebration on the horizon that could end up eclipsing this weekend's brouhaha. July 4, 2026 marks the nation's semiquincentennial − its 250th birthday since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Organizers of the June 14 parade and Army Birthday Festival call them the "opening event" for the yearlong celebration of America's 250th birthday set for 2026. It is unclear if the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps will get their own parade spectacle during their 250th birthdays this fall. Here's what to know about celebrations for America's 250th birthday. Trump's military parade: What is the June 14 event in DC celebrating? Years in the making While the festivities in central Washington, D.C. this weekend have only been in the works, in earnest, for a little over a month, launched by President Donald Trump in the first few months of his second term, the 2026 semiquincentennial has been years in the making. Though the nation's 250th birthday can also technically be called the sestercentennial, quarter millennial or bisesquicentennial, it appears semiquincentennial is the de-facto term. Planning for America's 250th started nearly nine years ago by an act of Congress, when the 2016 U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission Act was passed. It established a commission to plan for the observance and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, charged with overseeing related celebrations ranging from the local- and state-level to national and international spheres. Up next: A time capsule, and a 'traveling tech expo' Further, Trump issued an executive order Jan. 29 establishing a White House Task Force on "Celebrating America's 250th Birthday," charged with providing "a grand celebration" marking the July 4 anniversary. The task force, alongside the Semiquincentennial Commission, will "plan, organize, and execute an extraordinary celebration of the 250th Anniversary of American Independence," according to the president's order. America250, the nonprofit arm of the effort, says on its website that there will be a national celebration in Washington, D.C. and across the country on July 4, 2026, and will also bury a time capsule in Philadelphia on America's 250th. The organization says there will also be a traveling tech expo that displaying "America's greatest innovations as well as our aspirations for the future." The commission has not released further details of these events and initiatives slated for next year, and representatives have not responded to USA TODAY's request for comment for more information. America250 has led several associated initiatives and programs since the commission's 2016 founding, including a volunteer drive, an oral and visual storytelling project to collect and preserve U.S. history and an essay and artwork contest for schoolchildren with the prompt "What does America mean to you?' The nonpartisan Semiquincentennial Commission is composed of 16 private citizen and eight members of Congress, its website says, as well as 12 ex officio members from all three branches of the federal government and its independent agencies. The America250 congressional caucus includes more than 280 members of Congress, and in December became the largest bipartisan, bicameral caucus in Congress, according to the commission's annual report. Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Rain or shine? Trump offers update on weather's impact on military parade
Rain or shine? Trump offers update on weather's impact on military parade The National Weather Service forecast for Washington D.C. on June 14 has a 50% chance of rain, with thunderstorms possible Show Caption Hide Caption Army Golden Knights parachute team practices for military parade The Army's Golden Knights parachute team has been preparing for months to perform at the 250th anniversary military parade. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said this weekend's military parade in the nation's capital is a rain or shine event as forecasts show the potential for bad weather on parade day. "I hope the weather's okay, but actually if it's not, that brings you good luck, and that's okay, too," Trump said June 12 in discussing the parade during the congressional picnic at the White House. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't affect the tanks at all, it doesn't affect the soldiers. They're used to it. They're tough. Smart." Earlier in the day, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said there will be a military celebration "no matter what." 'Any changes to the Army Birthday Parade will be announced by the Department of Defense or America 250 Commission. No matter what, a historic celebration of our military servicemembers will take place!' Kelly said. The National Weather Service forecast for Washington D.C. on June 14 has a 50% chance of rain. The forecast says it will be mostly cloudy with a high of 83. Thunderstorms are possible. Trump is planning a large military parade through the streets of Washington D.C. June 14 on the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. It's also his 79th birthday. The second-term president described it as a "grand parade" in his picnic remarks, adding: "I don't think we've ever seen the likes of what you're going to see." The parade is drawing comparisons to authoritarian regimes, with Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California, calling it a "dictator-style military parade." Protesters are staging "No Kings" demonstrations across the country against Trump on the day of the parade. "President Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength," a statement on the "No Kings" website reads. "But real power isn't staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else." The Army's initial estimate for the parade covered a range from $25 million to $45 million. But the estimate has been refined as the event nears and includes damage to streets and infrastructure anticipated from heavy armored vehicles, according to a Defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The $40 million in taxpayer dollars will fund a parade featuring Abrams tanks, vintage World War II warplanes and thousands of soldiers marching in period uniforms to mark the nation's battles from the Revolutionary War to the present. A reviewing stand is being erected for Trump south of the White House. The Army has also shipped tanks from Texas by railroad to Washington for the parade, and soldiers from other posts around the country. They are being housed downtown in government buildings transformed into makeshift barracks with thousands of cots. Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, Joey Garrison
USA Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump hosts patriotic parade as Democrats plan silly protests against ‘kings.'
Trump hosts patriotic parade as Democrats plan silly protests against 'kings.' | Opinion The left has tried for years to paint Donald Trump as a Hitler-style strongman whose authoritarian instincts threaten democracy itself. Clearly, that argument has failed. Yet, they persist. Show Caption Hide Caption Army Golden Knights parachute team practices for military parade The Army's Golden Knights parachute team has been preparing for months to perform at the 250th anniversary military parade. I've never liked parades. Even growing up, they struck me as boring and kind of corny. How many fire trucks and floats does one need to see rolling down the street at a snail's pace? But a lot of people do enjoy them, and they can be a good way of bringing communities, large and small, together. Parades have dominated the headlines of late because President Donald Trump is holding one to celebrate the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. The spectacle, which will feature tanks and soldiers, among other displays of our country's military might, will take place June 14 in our nation's capital. The date also happens to be Trump's 79th birthday. In a video previewing the parade, he invited Americans to attend the 'unforgettable celebration," calling it – in Trump fashion – 'one like you've never seen before.' 'For two and a half centuries, the men and women of America's Army have dominated our enemies and protected our freedom at home,' the president said. 'This parade salutes our soldiers' remarkable strength and unbeatable spirit. You won't want to miss it. Just don't miss this one. It's going to be good.' Opinion: Hey, Democrats, LA riots make Americans like me glad Trump is president That all sounds quite patriotic to me, and it's in line with Trump's longstanding desire to properly mark the country's 250th birthday in 2026. In his first term, Trump fashioned the 1776 Commission to help prepare the celebration and remind Americans what the Founding Fathers envisioned when creating our republic. Democrats shout 'dictator' and plan ridiculous protests Democrats, however, are freaking out (what's new, right?). Sen. Adam Schiff of California, pompous progressive extraordinaire, called the planned event a 'dictator-style military parade,' putting Trump on par with global bad guys like Russia's Vladimir Putin, North Korea's late Kim Jong Il and China's Xi Jinping. For years, the left has tried to paint Trump as a Hitler-style strongman whose authoritarian instincts threaten democracy itself. Clearly, that argument has failed. Yet, they persist. Opinion: Can you be legally punished for misgendering someone? Colorado says yes. Liberals love nothing more than a rowdy protest, so that's what many are planning for the same day to show their outrage at the president. 'No Kings Day' is one of the most prominent anti-parade 'movements,' with at least 1,800 events planned nationwide. It has received financial support from the likes of Walmart heiress Christy Walton and a host of progressive groups. 'People from all walks of life support No Kings because our country was founded on the idea that presidents answer to the people – not to authoritarian overreach or violence,' said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, a No Kings partner organization. That is rich coming from Weingarten, who helped orchestrate the devastating and needless school shutdowns during COVID-19 that harmed millions of children. The 'No Kings' name is also ironic, considering Trump first got the idea to hold a big parade in 2017 when he attended France's Bastille Day celebration. The holiday marks a pivotal point in the French Revolution that overturned the monarchy and ushered in the country's democracy. Not to be outdone with the silliness, the Women's March (remember the pink 'pussyhat' marchers from 2017?) is trying to revive itself by hosting circus-themed 'Kick Out the Clowns' protests, purportedly more than 300 events countrywide. Activists will wear clown costumes to show their outrage at the Trump administration's 'clown-show fascism.' They have a 'goal' of setting the record for the most circuses in one day. 'We need to kick out the clowns, and end the greatest shitshow on earth,' the Women's March website proclaims. I wish I were kidding … but I'm not. Clowns aside, should we be worried about a military parade? Back briefly to Trump's parade. Should we be worried? Is it a symbol of the president's devious machinations? It's helpful to consider what's happened in the past. While military-style parades aren't common in the United States, they aren't unprecedented, either. USA TODAY has referred to them as 'retro.' Opinion: Democrats waste $20 million to learn why they lost men. Here's my free advice. 'I see it like most things in American politics today,' David Dulio, distinguished professor of political science at Michigan's Oakland University, told me via email. 'Many observers would like to reduce this to something simple when, in fact, it's complex. Are military parades in the U.S. common? No. But are they unprecedented? Also no.' The most recent such parade was in 1991, under President George H.W. Bush to commemorate the end of the Persian Gulf War. The inaugurations of former Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy also featured parades with military elements. The fact the Army's anniversary falls on Trump's birthday is leading to a lot of Democrats' consternation. It's true that our reality TV president has a flair for the dramatic. And it's obvious he holds himself in high esteem. It's also possible that Trump loves the country, too. Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@ or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques
