Nationwide "No Kings" protests took the shine off U.S. President Donald Trump's grand military parade that barreled down Constitution Avenue on Saturday.
The Republican president, on his 79th birthday, sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early and moved swiftly as light rain fell and clouds shrouded the Washington Monument.
The procession, with more than 6,000 soldiers and 128 Army tanks, was one Trump tried to make happen in his first term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017 but the plans never came together until the parade was added to an event recognizing the Army's 250th anniversary.
"Every other country celebrates their victories. It’s about time America did too," Trump declared in brief remarks at the parade's end.
The president praised the strength of the military's fighting forces and said U.S. soldiers "fight, fight fight and they win, win win" – putting a new twist on a line that Trump regularly delivered during his 2024 campaign rallies after he survived an assassination attempt.
