US Army Marks 250th Anniversary with Large Military Parade in Washington

On his 79th birthday, President Trump presided over a large military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, an event he had sought to organize since attending the Bastille Day parade in Paris in 2017. The parade featured over 6,000 soldiers and 128 tanks, but attendance was lower than expected, possibly due to weather and controversy surrounding the event. Critics protested nationwide, condemning Trump's use of military forces in domestic issues, including his recent deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles amid immigration protests. The event combined family-friendly activities with displays of war machines, drawing attention to the Army's recruitment challenges and the political symbolism of military strength. While the parade was intended as a celebration, it also highlighted tensions around the expansion of executive military power under Trump's administration. The concurrent use of troops for crowd control in U.S. cities underscored the polarized national climate regarding military presence in civilian affairs.