US to hold military parade on Trump's birthday, Washington mayor worried
May 03, 2025
New York [US], May 3: White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly wrote on the X news network that US President Donald Trump "will honor American veterans, active duty military personnel and military history with a parade!". The June 14 parade will coincide with President Trump's 79th birthday, according to AFP.
Kelly also posted a link to a Fox News article. According to the article, the parade will feature soldiers and students from U.S. military academies. On May 2, the Associated Press cited several documents as saying that a military parade likely to take place on June 14 would require more than 6,600 troops, at least 150 military vehicles, including M2 Bradley and Stryker tanks, and 50 helicopters.
Plans to hold a parade of U.S. military power through the streets of Washington were reported by the Washington City Paper last month. The parade could take place on a 6-kilometer stretch from the Pentagon to the White House.
President Trump came up with the idea of holding a military parade in Washington during his first term after attending a military parade in France. However, that idea did not materialize after the Pentagon said the cost could be as high as $92 million and there were concerns that tanks and other heavy military vehicles would damage the streets of Washington.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser raised similar concerns last month when asked by reporters about the planned parade. "Tanks are not suitable for walking on the streets. If tanks are used, millions of dollars will have to be spent on repairing roads," Bowser warned.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
