The nation’s capital on Saturday was overtaken by the sight of tanks rolling down the street and Army helicopters buzzing in the sky for a military parade to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
The much-talked about event, which also fell on President Trump’s 79th birthday, featured military vehicles and members of the Army marching down Constitution Avenue for a parade that had become a source of controversy in recent weeks. The event drew thousands of spectators despite the threat of rain.
Here are five takeaways from the parade.
Trump keeps things brief
Trump spoke at the conclusion of the parade on Saturday, keeping remarks short and framing the event as a celebration of the country’s military successes.
“Every other country celebrates their victories. It’s about time America did, too,” Trump said in prepared remarks. “That’s what we’re doing tonight.”
Saturday’s event came amid turmoil at home and on the world stage, but there was no mention from Trump of outside events. He spoke for about eight minutes, focusing on the Army’s origins and several specific instances of bravery from soldiers in wars throughout American history.
“Watching this magnificent display, our souls are filled with gratitude for every generation of warriors who have worn the uniform back to the very beginning,” Trump said.
Trump saluted service members at various points of Saturday’s parade, and at one point he administered the oath of enlistment to a group of new recruits.
“We’re the hottest country in the world right now. And our country will soon be greater and stronger than ever before,” Trump said.
JD Vance, Melania Trump take stage
Both Vice President Vance and First lady Melania Trump were visible throughout Saturday’s events.
Vance, who served in the Marines, delivered brief remarks before Trump spoke. The vice president nodded to the MAGA movement’s anti-isolationist bent.
“To our soldiers, we’re so proud of you. And let me tell you, the way that we honor and respect you, number one, we never ask you to go to war unless you absolutely have to,” Vance said.
“And number two, when we do ask you to go to war we give you the weapons and the support needed to kick the hell out of the enemy and come back home safely,” he added.
The first lady also made a public appearance alongside her husband for the second time this week in attending the parade. She sat next to the president throughout the parade and joined him on stage after his remarks to receive a folded flag from a service member.
Parade traces Army’s history, future
The parade was laid out as a tribute to the 250 years of its existence, starting with George Washington’s Army, officially the Continental Army, during the Revolutionary War in 1775.
Service members dressed in historic garb, some on horseback, first made their way down the parade route, followed by iterations of the service from decades past including WWI, WWII, the Korea, Vietnam and Gulf Wars, and the War on Terror in the first two decades of the 21st century.
Occasionally videos were displayed on the screen behind the main stage highlighting specific Army moments. One showed Trump’s visit to Fort Bragg last week. Another showed a graduation ceremony and cadets from the US Military Academy at West Point.
Also shown were videos with military members giving testimonials about what their service means to them.
But what drew the largest cheers were the vehicles used from WWII all the way up to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, and any potential conflicts beyond, starting with the M4 Sherman medium tank that gave way to Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Abrams tanks, Stryker armored personnel carriers and Howitzers.
Capping off the parade route were a group of troops representing the Army’s future, with 250 new recruits or soldiers who were re-enlisting pausing before Trump to raise their right hand and have their commander-in-chief swear them into service.
Rain holds off; thousands turn out
The threat of rain loomed in the days leading up to Saturday’s event, with forecasts showing a strong chance of storms during the parade.
Trump declared in a social media post on Saturday morning that the parade would carry on, “rain or shine.”
The event was shifted up roughly 30 minutes, beginning closer to 6 p.m. and concluding with fireworks just before 9 p.m. And while a few raindrops fell, the weather was a non-issue.
Still, under the threat of possible lightning, the Army canceled a planned flyover of F-22 fighter jets and Thunderbirds.
Other aerial events went ahead, including a drop of the U.S. Army Golden Knights with at least eight troops parachuting in and landing behind the main riser as troops marched down Constitution Ave.
That was followed by flights of Vietnam War-era helicopters over the National Mall, followed by groups of Apache attack helicopters, Black Hawks and then Chinooks towards the end of the parade.
Most GOP lawmakers don’t attend
While most members of Trump’s Cabinet joined him on the riser for Saturday’s parade, most Republican members of Congress were not in attendance.
Politico reported earlier in the week that only seven out of 50 GOP lawmakers the outlet surveyed said they planned to attend. Those who did attend included Trump allies like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas).
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who served in the Army, was seated on the riser with Trump, as was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Democrats had for the weeks leading up to the parade criticized it for its sizable price tag — upwards of $45 million — and compared it disparagingly to the kinds of military displays seen in authoritarian nations like North Korea and Russia.
But at least one Democrat praised the concept on Saturday.
“This parade is comprised of our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers—the very best of us,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) posted on X. “Regardless of your politics, it’s appropriate to celebrate the 250 years of sacrifice, dedication and service.”
