WASHINGTON — Thousands of troops descended on Washington, D.C., on Saturday, with tanks filling the streets and helicopters overhead, as President Donald Trump staged a military spectacle for the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.
The military parade, which Trump has repeatedly said he wanted since his first term, unfolded against the backdrop of an act of political violence earlier in the day that has left lawmakers and the American public reeling.
Earlier Saturday, a still-at-large suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, allegedly impersonated a police officer and shot and killed a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in what authorities are calling a “politically motivated assassination.” Another Democratic legislator and his wife were also shot in a separate attack.
US President Donald Trump (L) salutes next to US First Lady Melania Trump during the Army 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, DC, on June 14, 2025.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
Meanwhile, thousands of Trump’s opponents gathered across the nation in mass protests as part of “No Kings Day” demonstrations to speak out against his administration’s policies.
Protests took place in major cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, as well as smaller towns. Some of the demonstrations saw clashes with counter-protesters and law enforcement.
Demonstrators hold signs as they march down Dolores street protesting the Trump administration during the “No Kings” rally in San Francisco, California on June 14, 2025, on the same day as President Trump’s military parade in Washington, DC.
Nic Coury | AFP | Getty Images
A demonstrator waves an U.S. flag in front of mounted police officers during a No Kings Day protest against President Donald Trump’s policies, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 14, 2025.
Leah Millis | Reuters
In Minnesota, law enforcement officials warned the public not to attend the planned demonstrations across the state following the targeted shootings of Democratic state lawmakers overnight. But some protesters still showed up, with some saying the shocking events that transpired made the demonstrations more important.
Still, Trump, whose 79th birthday fell on the same day, has long pushed for a military parade in the nation’s capital — an idea that was swatted down during his first term by Pentagon officials.
Now, with full control of government and an administration stacked with loyalists, Trump got the grandiose show of force he’s always envisioned — though crowds were thin and the event drew its fair share of critics.
The parade started about 30 minutes earlier than initially planned due to thunderstorms expected in Washington, D.C., on Saturday evening.
Armored vehicles drive during the Army 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, DC on June 14, 2025.
Alex Wroblewski | AFP | Getty Images
People watch as an M1A2 Abrams tank rolls past during a military parade to commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th Birthday in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 14, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Trump, aware of the weather threat, told his supporters in a Truth Social post earlier on Saturday that the parade would go on “RAIN OR SHINE.”
Some of the flyovers planned for the parade were cancelled due to the inclement weather, NBC News reported, citing a U.S. Secret Service official.
A number of Trump’s cabinet members joined him at the event, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Trump was accompanied on stage by his wife, First Lady Melania Trump.
A member of the Golden Knights, the US Army’s parachute demonstration and competition team, lands in front of the White House during the Army 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, DC, on June 14, 2025.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
Throughout the day, there were military demonstrations and a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The event was said to be the largest military parade in Washington, D.C., since 1991, when President George H. W. Bush held a military parade at the conclusion of the Gulf War.
Soldiers dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms march in the military parade on June 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images
The dramatic split-screen between D.C. and cities across the nation comes against the backdrop of ongoing tensions in Los Angeles that have escalated since Trump deployed the National Guard to quell protests over immigration enforcement polices.
The celebration was also overshadowed by escalating tensions in the Middle East, following Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, and Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
One particular sticking point for critics of the D.C. event, including some Republicans, was its high price tag. All told, the event could cost up to $45 million, according to an Army spokesperson.
The parade’s cost has come under heavy criticism as congressional Republicans attempt to pass the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which includes tax cuts for business owners, investors and homeowners in high-tax areas that would add an estimated $4 trillion or more to the federal deficit.
But Trump said the cost is “peanuts compared to the value of doing it,” in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” last month.
“We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest Army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world,” Trump told NBC News’ Kristen Welker.
“And we’re going to celebrate it.”
This is a developing story and will be updated throughout the day.
