In April 2025, news reports said U.S. President Donald Trump was planning a military parade for his 79th birthday, on June 14, 2025. The day also happens to be Flag Day, when the national flag was adopted during the American Revolution.
Snopes received numerous questions from readers about whether Trump was planning such a parade for his birthday and how much it would cost.
The claim first emerged from an unnamed source in the Washington City Paper, saying Trump "commandeered" June 14 for a city-wide parade. The same day also happens to be the 250th anniversary of the creation of the U.S. Army. Per the story, local officials were made aware of the plan:
Arlington County Board Chair Takis Karantonis, who describes Arlington as a "9/11 city" that is proud of being home to the Pentagon, tells City Paper that no formal request for assistance has been made to the county. Karantonis says the county was given a "heads up" about the parade on Friday by the White House, but with no firm details.
"It's not clear to me what the scope of a parade would be," Karantonis says. "But 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, as they reflect on how best to celebrate the Army's anniversary."
There are conflicting reports about whether there will be a military parade on that day. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser told the news media that local officials were in discussions with the federal government about a parade in the summer of 2025.
The White House told us in an email that no military parade had been scheduled. We reached out to Bowser's office for a response to the White House's denial and they declined to comment.
U.S. Army spokesperson Heather J. Hagan told Snopes:
Any discussion of the parade is pre-decisional at this point. The Army is celebrating its 250th Birthday with multiple events leading up to June 14, including an Army Birthday Festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC. We intend to have a national level celebration to increase pride in America and America's Army. Given the significant milestone of 250 years, the Army is exploring options to make the celebration bigger, with more capability demonstrations, static displays of equipment, and more engagement with the community.
Bowser told Politico in an April 7, 2025, report that the White House was planning a "military" parade stretching from the Pentagon to the White House. She added that the heavy equipment could cause millions in damage to the city's streets.
An unnamed senior Trump administration official confirmed the plans for a parade to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army to news channel NewsNation, a sister network of The Hill. An unnamed Army official also told The Hill that "there are plans for a parade that will involve the Army" and planning had started last year. The official said the Army planned a 250th anniversary celebration with a "robust capability increase in what you would see in previous years."
Army spokesman Col. Dave Butler told The Hill about a possible celebration, suggesting it may not be a parade. Butler pointed out the celebration would be for the Army's 250th anniversary:
The Army is very excited to celebrate its 250th anniversary with the entire county. Our intention is for Americans to be proud of their Army and also proud of their nation. It's too early to say yet whether or not we're having a parade but we're working with the White House as well as several government agencies to make the celebration a national level event.
It is possible that the Trump administration is planning a parade for the summer of 2025. However, conflicting reports from the White House, the Army, and the mayor's office indicate we cannot confirm if it is really happening. While the Army has plans to commemorate that day, this is also not the first time Trump changed plans for a military parade.
Trump had planned a parade during his first term in 2018 and canceled it, after U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the parade could cost up to $92 million, a number that other officials disputed. Trump claimed he canceled the parade himself after accusing the local government of price gouging.