Trump Ripped Over 'Shameful' Plan For A Massive Military Birthday Parade

US President Donald Trump arrives to deliver commencement remarks at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on May 1, 2025.

Critics are blasting US President Donald Trump over a plan for the American Army to hold a massive parade on June 14.

That date is both the 250th anniversary of the US Army and Trump’s birthday, and the parade is ostensibly for the military and not the president.

However, Trump has long craved just such a military spectacle. He wanted one during his first term, but had to settle for a somewhat smaller-scale event instead.

And while the Army has long planned a celebration for its big birthday, the Associated Press reports that those plans didn’t include a parade until very recently. The news agency said the event “could include a Stryker battalion with two companies of Stryker vehicles, a tank battalion and two companies of tanks, an infantry battalion with Bradley vehicles, Paladin artillery vehicles, Howitzers and infantry vehicles” as well as thousands of soldiers.

The U.S. military does not typically have large parades, even for big milestones, except on rare occasions. The last major military parades in the United States of this scale may have been for the end of the Gulf War in 1991.

In addition, Trump’s parade comes as he ushers in an era of strict austerity, with major cuts across departments and throughout the federal government, including cuts to scientific research, school lunches and hunger programs.

The parade he wanted in his first term had an estimated price tag of $92 million.

Critics called out Trump for making cuts to essential services while also finding the cash for a big parade:

Cutting cancer research while wasting money on this? Shameful.

Detailed Army plans for a potential military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and possibly a couple thousand… pic.twitter.com/p36xtfbM1O
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 2, 2025

The scent of North Korea. https://t.co/8eR9SiwWnG
— José A. Cabrera (@CabreraCostas) May 2, 2025

Waste, fraud and abuse. 👎🏼
— Mark Farina (@djmarkfarina) May 1, 2025

The protests will be far bigger

Army plans for a potential parade on Trump's birthday call for 6,600 soldiers, AP learns | AP News https://t.co/NZ9owhFqkE
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) May 2, 2025

But Meals on Wheels is canceled, children lunch programs, gone!
It's all about HIM!
— Peggy Gabour (@peggy_gabour) May 2, 2025

Trump Plans $92 Million Military Parade-Honoring Himself.
If you think this is a joke it's not (link): https://t.co/KzLp0ZhXPV pic.twitter.com/V3aDjpbzZI
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) April 8, 2025

We can’t afford naloxone, but he is throwing himself a victory parade https://t.co/ORzr8yYMlX
— Dr. Emily Brunner, MD DFASAM (@DrEmilyBrunner) May 2, 2025

North Korea is getting jealous… https://t.co/odGTsipO8L
— Paul Tencher (@paultencher) May 2, 2025

When we’re ready to cut waste, I know where to start. https://t.co/G8JmzJhbKb
— Political Punk (@actingliketommy) May 2, 2025

So @DOGE fired cancer researchers at @NIH and medical personnel at the @DeptVetAffairs, because the government needs to cut spending, but we're going to waste money on this totally unnecessary thing? Just disgusting. #MAGA #hypocrisyexposed https://t.co/Hb5rjrnnfu
— Chris DiLapi (Big Twelve Conference Supporter) (@cmdilapi) May 2, 2025

This shit is disturbing https://t.co/4wxH7EVNKa
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) May 2, 2025

The Fuhrer wants a Nuremberg style parade on his birthday. https://t.co/aWm4ZEPKaF
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 1, 2025

Perfect. And every Trump supporter attending the parade gets a free black shirt. https://t.co/clZMLPGIxN
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) May 2, 2025

When the government efficiency hits https://t.co/UFmevwg7vD
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) May 2, 2025

i found some waste @DOGE https://t.co/Nlny8guC4L
— Matt Rein (@MatthewARein) May 2, 2025

He’s in his Kim Jung Un era https://t.co/PLWjmnoXok
— TJ L'Heureux (@tjlheureux0) May 2, 2025

Sounds like a waste, born from abuse, from a complete fraud.

The Trump checklist trifecta. ✅ https://t.co/ymfnqBQYH2
— Ethan (@Ethan_Norof) May 2, 2025