The idea of Donald Trump hosting a military parade in Washington on his birthday was questionable enough even before he sent the National Guard, and later Marines, to protests over ICE raids in Los Angeles this week.
But now, Trump is threatening consequences for protesters who show up at the parade, which is scheduled to take place in Washington this weekend.
“We’re celebrating big on Saturday,” Trump said in Oval Office comments to the press on Tuesday. “And if there’s any protest that wants to come out, they’re going to be met with very big force.” He went on to state that while “I haven’t even heard about a protest,” he characterized the theoretical protesters as “people that hate our country.”
“Anybody who protests the military parade on Sunday will be met with very heavy force.” – Trump
More threatening military violence against American citizens.
Loser.
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) June 10, 2025
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
Trump’s choice of words is notable in that he refers not to those engaging in violence or civil unrest but merely “protesters.”
There is, in fact, a “No Kings” protest scheduled to take place nationwide on Saturday in conjunction with the military parade and Trump’s birthday. However, it doesn’t appear that Trump “heard about” it yet, for whatever reason.
According to the Associated Press, there will be heavy security in Washington for Saturday’s parade, including 18 miles of fencing and drones in the air. It is estimated that 200,000 attendees will be there for the event.
I guess it follows that with Roman salutes come Roman Triumphs? https://t.co/Vszd9cOvMu
— Ben Howe (@BenHowe) June 10, 2025
“We have a ton of magnetometers,” Matt McCool of the Secret Service’s Washington Field office told the AP. “If a million people show up, then we’re going to have some lines.”
“This is a significant event with a large footprint,” Metropolitan Police Department chief Pamela Smith told the AP. “We’re relying on the public to be an extra set of ears and eyes for us.” With that much security in place, it would appear that a Los Angeles-style conflagration in Washington is unlikely.
Trump had mused about holding a military parade during his first term, although one never materialized. He’ll finally get his wish this weekend when, per the New York Times, the parade will feature “28 Abrams tanks, 6,700 soldiers, 50 helicopters, 34 horses, two mules and a dog.”
Photo courtesy of X screengrab
