President Donald Trump may finally be getting the military parade he’s long wanted since his first term in the White House. According to a report by the Washington City Paper, a four-mile parade is being planned for June 14 — a day that marks both the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and Trump’s 79th birthday.
While still in early planning stages, the parade is expected to begin at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and end at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Local Officials Just Learning of the Plan
The Arlington County Board Chair, Takis Karantonis, confirmed they were given a “heads-up” on Friday but said many details are still unclear.
“It’s not clear to me what the scope of a parade would be,” Karantonis said. “I would hope the federal government remains sensitive to the pain and concerns of numerous [military] veteran residents who have lost or might lose their jobs in recent federal decisions.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office has not commented publicly yet. However, Bowser previously opposed a similar parade idea back in 2018, when the plan was dropped due to an estimated $100 million cost and concerns over damage to city streets from military vehicles like tanks.
Trump’s Previous Attempt Was Cancelled Over Cost
During his first term, Trump strongly pushed for a grand military celebration but cancelled the idea when the costs ballooned and local officials refused to support it.
“When asked to give us a price… they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it,” Trump tweeted in 2018. Instead, he attended a scheduled event at Andrews Air Force Base.
Logistics Pose a Major Challenge
While neither Mayor Bowser nor the military has pushed back on this newly proposed parade, local leaders say the logistics are daunting. Organizing a parade of this scale in just 10 weeks would require coordinating six military branches, multiple government agencies, and local transportation systems.
D.C. officials warn that roads, bridges, and public transit lines — including parts of Metro’s rail and bus systems — might need to shut down to ensure safety during the event.
“We’d have to make sure everything is safe,” one official said, pointing to the complex effort involved.