President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived at Saturday’s 250th anniversary for the U.S. Army, which also coincides with the president’s 78th birthday.
Melania sported a cream pinstripe suit for the occasion.
The president and first lady arrived as the first drops of rain started falling, after Washington, D.C.’s possible bad weather held off all day, though with thunderstorms still predicted for later Saturday night.
Vice President J.D. Vance and Usha Vance arrived with their kids, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as other dignitaries waited onstage.
After the Star-Spangled banner, when there was a break in the programming, members of the crowd loudly broked out into ‘Happy Birthday’ for Trump.
Trump has denied that the military parade is in his honor – though he’s wanted to hold a Bastille Day-like parade since visting France in the opening months of his first term in 2017.
The parade kicked off in earnest shortly afterward.
Trump will speak later Saturday evening.
President Donald Trump (left) and first lady Melania Trump (right) arrive for Saturday’s 250th anniversary parade for the U.S. Army, which coincides with the president’s 79th birthday
President Donald Trump (left) and first lady Melania Trump (right) listen to the national anthem being played Saturday evening at the start of the 250th anniversary parade for the Army. First son Eric (center top) and his wife Lara Trump (right) can be seen behind the first couple
The parade was set up to showcase the history of the Army, with the earliest period uniforms going first.
That means the 1st Cavalry Division – including its mascot Doc Holliday, a two year old blue heeler – was near the beginning of the pack.
The flyovers started during the World War II era, as Jeeps rolled down Constitution Avenue.
While the president is used to packed crowds for his rallies, the attendance for Saturday’s parade wasn’t overwhelming.
Attendees had plenty of space on the National Mall to spread out.
The VIP bleachers located across from the press section were barely full.
Lines did stretch dozens of people deep for the food trucks that had been allowed on the National Mall.
There were handfuls of protesters, but most sat quietly while holding their signs.
One demonstrator, 72-year-old Mike from Washington, D.C., who declined to give his last name, held up a sign that read: ‘Celebrate and respect our brave military personnel. Condemn and reject our cowardly draft-dodging authoritarian president.’
His female companion, who declined to be identified, held up a sign that read ‘Freedom not Fascism.’
Similar to Trump’s former campaign rallies, reports emerged from attendees of a two tiered system of treatment.
As VIPs filled in to a section with plenty of available seating, lines around the block were made up of general admission attendees, many of who were not permitted to entry the parade space as check point after check point shut down.
During the final segment of the parade which showcased the future of military technologies, the ARL Robot Dogs took center stage.
Both child and adult attendees of the parade decried the dogs as ‘scary’, while X user @funkygalonline wrote ‘Black mirror changed me forever on these . Not a fan.’
