As President Donald Trump celebrated the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary with a grand military parade in Washington, protests erupted across major cities, a Democratic lawmaker was assassinated, and global tensions escalated with Israel’s second strike on Iran.
WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO, June 15 (Reuters): President Donald Trump’s long-anticipated military parade, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, took center stage in Washington on Saturday. But the national celebration unfolded under the shadow of deep unrest, both domestic and international, turning the day into a potent symbol of division and discord.
The parade, which coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday, showcased over 150 military vehicles, including M1 Abrams tanks, Stryker armored carriers, and M777 artillery, rumbling along Constitution Avenue. Trump, flanked by his cabinet—including Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio—watched from a secure stand behind bulletproof glass.
“Every other country celebrates their victories, it’s about time America did too,” Trump said, defending the show of force, rare in American civic life.
But protests across the country—from New York to Chicago and Los Angeles—voiced strong opposition to his leadership, drawing hundreds of thousands under the banner of “No Kings”, a direct jab at Trump’s alleged authoritarian leanings. Demonstrators held placards reading “No crown for a clown”, and actor Mark Ruffalo joined the protest in New York wearing a cap that read “immigrant.”
In Washington, around 400 protesters organized by RefuseFascism.org rallied near the White House, despite Trump’s warning that dissenters would face “very big force.”
“Today we refuse to accept Donald Trump unleashing the military against the people,” declared Sunsara Taylor, co-founder of the organization.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated sharply in Minnesota, where a Democratic lawmaker was assassinated, and another wounded in a gun attack. The suspect remains at large, authorities confirmed.
Adding to the turmoil, Israel launched a second strike on Iran aimed at neutralizing its nuclear capabilities, following retaliatory strikes from Tehran just the night before. Global fears of a widening regional conflict intensified amid already strained international relations.
Back home, Los Angeles witnessed violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement. Mounted police used flash-bangs and tear gas to disperse demonstrators gathered around the federal building, chanting: “Shame! Shame!” and “Marines, get out of LA!”—a response to Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to control immigration-related unrest in the city.
Across Chicago, protesters waved upside-down American flags, clashed verbally with police, and chanted: “No justice, no peace.” The far-right Proud Boys made their presence felt at a “No Kings” demonstration in Atlanta, dressed in their usual black and yellow colors.
The parade itself, costing an estimated $25–$45 million, traced the history of the U.S. Army from its Revolutionary War roots to present day. Trump saluted troops and applauded as they marched past. While supporters like Bryan Henrie, who flew in from Texas, saw it as a tribute to “safety and stability,” critics slammed it as a wasteful display of authoritarian power.
“I don’t see a controversy. I will celebrate safety and stability over anarchy,” Henrie, 61, told reporters.
But others viewed the optics differently.
“We’re seeing dehumanizing language towards LGBT people, minorities, people with disabilities,” said Cooper Smith, 20, protesting in Manhattan. “Somebody’s got to show that most Americans are against this.”
The day’s events echoed Trump’s early attempts in 2017 to organize a military parade, previously inspired by France’s Bastille Day celebration. The last U.S. military display of similar scale took place in 1991, post-Gulf War.
Yet, amid global instability and a polarized American electorate, Saturday’s military spectacle may have achieved the opposite of unity.