President Donald Trump delivers a special commencement address to University of Alabama graduates at Coleman Coliseum. Graduation occurs over the weekend. Trump tells a story about a female weight lifter struggling in a competition with a trans weight lifter.
Washington D.C. – What began as a modest Army birthday celebration has morphed into a potentially massive, Trump-adjacent military spectacle that could send thousands of soldiers and dozens of armored vehicles marching through the streets of Washington this June.
According to internal Army documents obtained by the Associated Press, military planners have outlined a full-scale parade involving more than 6,600 troops, 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, and seven bands, all timed to coincide with June 14 — the Army’s 250th birthday and Donald Trump’s 79th.
Though the Army insists no final decision has been made, the documents — dated April 29 and 30 — reveal an advanced level of planning for an event that would eclipse any military show of force in the capital since Trump’s ill-fated 2018 attempt. That parade was scrapped after projected costs ballooned to $92 million and D.C. officials warned that tanks would destroy city streets.
The newly proposed event, while technically part of the Army’s ongoing birthday festival, would drastically increase its scale and visibility. Original plans included static displays like armored vehicles, climbing walls, and fitness competitions. But a full-blown parade would call for deploying troops from at least 11 corps and divisions nationwide, including Stryker battalions, tank units, and Paladin artillery.
“It’s still under discussion,” Army spokesperson Steve Warren told reporters Thursday. “No final decisions have been made.” But another Army spokesperson, Col. Dave Butler, acknowledged the growing ambition: “We want Americans to know their Army and their soldiers. A parade might become part of that.”
Behind the patriotic framing, political realities lurk. Trump has long fantasized about a grand military display ever since attending France’s Bastille Day parade in 2017. A 2018 attempt fell apart amid staggering cost estimates, accusations of price gouging, and fierce resistance from local D.C. leaders.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser didn’t mince words in April when asked about the possibility of tanks in her city. “Tanks rolling through the city’s streets would not be good,” she said. “If they are used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads.”
The documents show the Army has requested the parade be designated a National Special Security Event, triggering enhanced law enforcement and Secret Service presence.
For now, the parade remains unapproved — but preparations are clearly accelerating. What began as a celebration of Army history is starting to look a lot more like a Trump birthday bash, complete with fireworks, flyovers, and a deepening divide over who gets to define patriotism in 2024.
