Thousands of troops will march through the streets of Washington, D.C. on Saturday. Tanks will roll, helicopters will roar overhead, and fireworks will light up the night sky.
Officially, the day is meant to honor the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army. But with the event falling on June 14, President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday—and with his name, presence, and fingerprints woven throughout—the military spectacle has become one of the most controversial and polarizing public displays in the nation’s capital in years.
The Army’s semiquincentennial has given Trump a long-sought opportunity: a military parade on American soil, modeled in part after the one he saw in France during Bastille Day in 2017. Officials are planning for the largest parade in Washington since a 1991 celebration that followed the Gulf War, with more than 6,600 soldiers, 150 military vehicles, and 50 aircraft participating.
The Army said it expects to spend between $25 million to $45 million on the events. A viewing stand near the White House has been erected for the President, who is expected to speak.
Read more: No Kings’ Protests Planned Across U.S.
The gleaming equipment and martial fanfare comes at a particularly tense moment for Trump, as he deployed National Guard troops to California this week to respond to protests over immigration enforcement. He has warned that protesters to his parade “will be met with very big force,” a threat that has drawn comparisons to authoritarian regimes and prompted new questions about the politicization of the military.
“We’re going to celebrate our country for a change,” Trump said in the Oval Office earlier this week, brushing off concerns about the event’s costs or optics.
Here’s what to know about the military parade.
Why is a military parade happening?
Trump has long admired foreign displays of power. After witnessing France’s Bastille Day parade in 2017, he returned to Washington eager to stage something similar at home—with tanks, fighter jets, and troops rolling past the White House. Though advisers initially stalled those ambitions, Saturday’s parade fulfills what he has sought for years: a muscular showcase of American military might, in the heart of the nation’s capital, on his birthday.
Officially, the event commemorates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which was established in 1775. It’s also meant to “showcase the Army’s modern capabilities” and “inspire a new generation to embrace the spirit of service, resilience, and leadership that defines the United States,” according to America250, the event’s organizer. The parade will feature soldiers in historic uniforms, both vintage and modern equipment, and performances.
Heather J. Hagan, a U.S. Army spokeswoman, said in a statement that the plan for the parade as of June 6 included “6,700 Soldiers from every division, 150 vehicles, 50 aircrafts, 34 horses, two mules and one dog.”
“The parade will include the National Guard and Army Reserve, Special Operations Command, United States Military Academy and Reserve Officer Training Corps to highlight the Army’s 250 years of service to the nation,” Hagan said. “The procession will tell the story of the history of the Army, beginning with the Revolutionary War and concluding with the future Army.”
The timing and pageantry of Trump’s military parade has drawn bipartisan criticism. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky told reporters that he’s worried about the message the parade will send. “I wouldn’t have done it,” he said. “We were always different than, you know, the images you saw in the Soviet Union and North Korea. We were proud not to be that.”
What is the schedule of events?
In the morning, there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery that will be open to the public, followed by a fitness competition and military festival on the National Mall. The festival, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., will feature military demonstrations, equipment displays, food trucks, and live music from country singers Scotty Hasting and Noah Hicks.
The military parade is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. along Constitution Avenue, stretching from 23rd Street NW near the Lincoln Memorial to 15th Street NW near the Washington Monument. It will involve thousands of soldiers in uniforms representing every era of the Army’s 250-year history, as well as 26 Abrams tanks, 27 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, CH-47 Chinooks, UH-60 Black Hawks, and historic aircraft like the P-51 Mustangs. There are also plans for a parachute jump by the Army’s Golden Knights at the White House ellipse. A fireworks show is scheduled for 9:45 p.m.
At some point, Trump is also expected to deliver “remarks celebrating 250 Years of the U.S. Army’s exceptional service, significant achievements, and enduring legacy,” according to America250. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. Army has been restored to strength and readiness,” the group’s site proclaims.
D.C. officials have warned that the influx of tanks rolling through the city could damage roads. The Army has said it will pay for any repairs, and that it will lay steel plates and install rubber track pads on tanks to protect the city’s roads as best as possible.
An Army spokesperson told TIME that the military parade and all of the events around it could cost up to $45 million. “We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world… And we’re going to celebrate it,” Trump said recently, dismissing the estimated $45 million cost as “peanuts.”
Who is attending?
Army officials anticipate that around 200,000 people will attend the parade. The celebration will also draw many of Trump’s closest allies, including some members of Congress and MAGA influencers.
The public can register for tickets on the U.S. Army’s event website, though it is not required to attend. Thunderstorms are currently expected in the late afternoon and evening, which could dampen turnout.
When did the United States last host a military parade?
Military parades in the U.S. are quite rare and typically tied to clear military victories. The last one was in 1991, when President George H.W. Bush presided over a “National Victory Parade” to commemorate the military’s efforts in the Gulf War, which was waged in response to Iraq’s invasion and annexation of Kuwait under Saddam Hussein and was over in less than six months.
Read more: A Look Back at the Last Major U.S. National Military Parade in 1991
That parade, which cost around $12 million, included 8,000 troops marching through the streets on D.C. and 200,000 people in attendance. It ended with a fireworks display that drew around 800,000 people.
Are protests expected?
Nationwide protests are being planned across all 50 states as part of the “No Kings” movement, which is calling for a “nationwide day of defiance” to “draw a clear contrast between our people-powered movement and the costly, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade in Washington.” More than 1,600 “No Kings” rallies are expected. Organizers purposely are not planning one in D.C., according to the movement’s website.
However, other counter-demonstrations could be present in D.C. on Saturday as the events are open to the public.
Trump warned that any protests during the military parade “will be met with very big force.”
“If there’s any protester who wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,” the President said Tuesday. “I haven’t even heard about a protest, but [there are] people that hate our country.”