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A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk chopper to beryllium utilized successful the U.S. Army's 250th Birthday Celebration and Parade, is seen adjacent U.S. Capitol successful Washington, D.C., U.S., June 11, 2025.
Alexander Drago | Reuters
WASHINGTON — Thousands of troops volition descend connected Washington, D.C., connected Saturday, accompanied by dozens of tanks and helicopters overhead, arsenic President Donald Trump stages a high-profile spectacle to people the Army's 250th anniversary.
Trump, whose 79th day falls connected the aforesaid day, has long pushed for a military parade successful the nation's superior — an thought that was swatted down during his archetypal word by Pentagon officials.
Now, with afloat power of authorities and an medication stacked with loyalists, Trump is getting the grandiose amusement of unit he's ever envisioned, adjacent if it is drafting critics.
Read much CNBC authorities coverage
It's among the starkest examples yet of Trump flexing his relation arsenic commander-in-chief since taking office.
U.S. Army airy instrumentality transporters, Stryker armored vehicles, HEMTT A4 substance servicing trucks, and different instrumentality get via obstruction to instrumentality portion successful the 250th Army Birthday Parade successful Washington D.C., U.S. June 8, 2025.
Pfc. Jesse May | U.S. Army | Via Reuters
As the festivities unfold successful Washington, immoderate of Trump's opponents are acceptable to stitchery crossed the federation arsenic portion of "No Kings Day" demonstrations to protestation Trump medication policies.
Protests are scheduled successful astir 2,000 towns and cities crossed the United States, according to the event's website.
It volition beryllium a vivid divided screen, and comes against the backdrop of ongoing tensions successful Los Angeles that person escalated since Trump deployed the National Guard to quell protests implicit migration enforcement polices.
In a stark warning, Trump earlier this week said that immoderate D.C. protesters volition beryllium met with "very large force."
Security officials said they were not anticipating wide counterprotests successful D.C., but they were monitoring immoderate imaginable activity.
The parade besides comes amid escalating tensions successful the Middle East, pursuing Israel's attacks connected Iran's atomic sites, and Iran's retaliatory attacks.
Throughout the day, determination volition beryllium subject demonstrations and a wreath laying astatine the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The parade volition diagnostic thousands of soldiers and dozens of tanks — and determination volition beryllium a fireworks amusement astatine night.
People hold for the commencement of a subject parade to commemorate the U.S. Army's 250th Birthday successful Washington, D.C., U.S., June 14, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
It could beryllium the largest subject parade successful Washington, D.C., since 1991, erstwhile President George H. W. Bush held a subject parade astatine the decision of the Gulf War.
"It'll springiness downtown Moscow oregon downtown Beijing vibes, it'll consciousness similar a full nother authoritarian, communist country," Arizona-based Republican strategist Barrett Marson told CNBC.
One peculiar sticking constituent for critics of the event, including immoderate Republicans, is its precocious terms tag.
Altogether, the lawsuit could outgo up to $45 million, according to an Army spokesperson.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said helium would not "spend the money" connected the lawsuit if it were up to him, NBC News reports.
Most U.S. adults thin to agree, according to a canvass retired Thursday from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that recovered that 60% of adults surveyed said the subject parade is not a bully usage of authorities funds.
U.S. Army soldiers enactment connected an assortment of M1 Alpha a3 Abrams tanks, stryker armored vehicles, and M2 Bradley warring vehicles astatine West Potomac Park on the Potomac River connected June 11, 2025 successful Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
But for Trump, the outgo is "peanuts compared to the worth of doing it," helium said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" past month.
"We person the top missiles successful the world. We person the top submarines successful the world. We person the top service tanks successful the world. We person the top weapons successful the world," Trump told NBC News' Kristen Welker.
"And we're going to observe it."
This is simply a processing communicative and volition beryllium updated passim the day.
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