A gift for his birthday Trump plans mile-long military parade in the middle of Washington
The US president is apparently following up on a controversial project from his first term in office. Could tanks actually be rolling through the capital this time - as a kind of birthday present?
08.04.2025, 11:07
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Donald Trump celebrates his birthday on June 14, as does the US Army.
- At 250 years old, the army is significantly older than the president, who will be 79.
- On this day, Trump's team is planning a military parade in Washington that will be around 6.5 kilometers long.
- Washington's streets are not designed for tanks, but even without them, the parade will cost millions of dollars
According to media reports, the US government under President Donald Trump is planning a large military parade through the capital Washington - on Trump's 79th birthday on June 14.
The day happens to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Army. However, official applications or detailed votes are reportedly still pending.
Citing a high-ranking government representative, the portal "The Hill" reported that planning is currently underway for the parade, which is to run almost four miles (around 6.5 kilometers) from the Pentagon in Arlington in the state of Virginia to the White House. The weekly newspaper "Washington City Paper" first reported on the project.
Mayor: "Sounds like a military parade"
When asked by a journalist, Washington's mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed that the city had been contacted by the Trump administration in connection with a planned parade.
However, she said she did not know whether it would be a military parade. When the journalist noted that the parade was to start at the Pentagon, Bowser replied: "Okay, then it does sound like a military parade."
According to "The Hill", an army representative confirmed the length of the route - but emphasized that the plans had not yet been finalized.
Not a new project - but an expensive one
During his first term in office - from 2017 to 2021 - Trump had already sought a military parade based on the French model, but scrapped the project due to estimated costs of around 92 million dollars (almost 79 million francs).
At the time, local authorities such as the city of Washington and the Department of Defense also expressed concerns - including about possible damage to roads caused by heavy armored vehicles.
Newsweek magazine quotes former Air Force General Michael Hayden from that time as saying: "It's just not our style. (...) If you know how powerful you are, you don't have to fake it."
When asked about possible road damage, Mayor Bowser again emphasized that the capital's roads were not designed for tanks. "If they were actually deployed, it would have to involve many millions of dollars to repair the roads afterwards," she said.
