Over 2,000 “No King” protests erupted around the country as demonstrators objected to a military parade in Washington, D.C., on Saturday celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, calling it a multimillion dollar “birthday party” for President Donald Trump.
The Army anniversary coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday. But Democrats and others had said for weeks that Trump had organized the parade to celebrate his own birthday in a move reminiscent of Third World dictators. The event became a hot-button subject for debate among Democrats and Republicans alike.
Congress mostly split along partisan lines over the military parade. While Democrats largely denounced the Army celebration and Republicans generally praised it, both sides also had notable dissenters.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called it a “vulgar demonstration,” comparing Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin. During a press conference the day before the parade, he said, “What an embarrassment. Honestly, that’s about as small as it gets.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz compared it to “Pyongyang on a Saturday,” referencing the capital of communist North Korea and calling the sight of military apparatus “horrific.”
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the lone Democrat voice in support of the 250th celebration. During a Fox News interview, he defended the military presence in the nation’s capital, saying, “Stop ever comparing anyone, anything to the Nazis and those kinds of things. That’s crazy. … I’m not sure why it’s outrageous to have a parade to celebrate the Army.”
Two Republican senators publicly expressed their criticism of the celebration, citing concerns about costs and the Soviet-like image projected by the parade. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said, “If you asked me … I wouldn’t have done it. … I’m worried about the image, that it isn’t necessarily the best image to show.”
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told a reporter, “I wouldn’t spend the money if it were me.”
Despite the rainy weather in the nation’s capital, several Republican members of Congress attended the Army celebration. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., told The Daily Signal, “I fully support and was happy to attend the military parade. … I think it is shameful that the Left chose to protest the event rather than celebrate 250 years of Americans who have laid their lives on the line for our freedoms.”
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told The Daily Signal, “Leftist media will do anything to paint this administration as authoritarian. They’ve even twisted an event honoring the first branch of our military—the reason why we won our independence from a monarchy—into a narrative suggesting it glorifies the president as a king.”
Republicans said they felt optimistic about the Trump administration’s efforts to revitalize the military. “President Trump is reigniting pride in our country and bringing back a sense of patriotism,” Fine said. “Democrats have repeatedly used rhetoric that criticizes America and have made it seem criminal to express national pride. … Rather than tearing America down, events like this parade focus on lifting the nation up and advancing the ‘America First’ agenda.”
Stutzman added, “Secretary [of Defense Pete] Hegseth has brought our military back from the failed woke tactics of recruitment that took hold during the Biden administration. I think this celebration, and hopefully others like it in the future, will only continue to create interest from our young men and women to join the armed forces and fight for the American values that we hold dear.”
