Trump says military parade will continue ‘rain or shine’
by The Hill Staff
President Trump on Saturday said that the celebrations to commemorate the 250th Army anniversary will continue despite possible showers in Washington.
“OUR GREAT MILITARY PARADE IS ON, RAIN OR SHINE. REMEMBER, A RAINY DAY P[A]RADE BRINGS GOOD LUCK,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I’LL SEE YOU ALL IN D.C.
The president earlier this week cast the event, which is taking place on Trump’s 79th birthday, as an opportunity for the country “to show off a little bit.”
“I think it’s going to be great,” Trump told reporters at the White House Tuesday. “We’re going to celebrate our country for a change.”
Hundreds of thousands are expected to gather in the nation’s capital for a parade and festival to celebrate the semi-quincentennial of the Army. There are also over 1,500 “No Kings” demonstrations organized across the country in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda and its display of military might
Republicans Pass Round Of DOGE Cuts To PBS, NPR, And USAID | RISING
Trump, ahead of Saturday’s event, warned protesters they would be met with “a very big force” if they demonstrate at the Washington parade.
This all comes as the Trump administration has its attention focused on unrest in the Middle East. The president and top defense officials are closely monitoring the situation after Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran late Thursday.
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Tehran retaliated on Friday with strikes of its own and by signaling they could withdraw from an expected sixth round of nuclear talks with the U.S. The tit-for-tat attacks continued into Saturday.
Follow along for the latest updates in Washington, across the country and abroad below.
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4 minutes ago
Israel-Iran war spotlights MAGA divide
Brett Samuels
President Trump’s handling of escalating tensions in the Middle East is casting a spotlight on divisions among the president’s supporters about whether the U.S. should have any involvement in a brewing conflict.
Trump has had voices in his ear advocating for differing approaches to Iran as his administration sought to broker an agreement limiting Tehran’s nuclear program.
More here.
16 minutes ago
US steps up security at military bases amid tensions in Middle East
Steff Danielle Thomas
The U.S. Northern Command on Saturday announced it would step up security measures on its military installations amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran.
“Based on world events, U.S. Northern Command has directed additional security measures at all military installations in the USNORTHCOM area of responsibility, which includes the continental United States and Alaska,” the command wrote in a press release.
“We are not aware of specific threats to installations,” it added later.
The move comes as the two nations continue to exchange strikes after Israel’s surprise attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities and ballistic missile sites. Iran has vowed to avenge its top officials who were killed in the strike and suggested any help from the U.S. or other allies could result in being targeted, as Reuters reported.
23 minutes ago
Marjorie Taylor Greene spotted at Army festival
Miriam Waldvogel
32 minutes ago
A single counterprotester sits at Army Festival entrance as festival kicks off
Miriam Waldvogel
A couple hundred people are currently watching the Army’s fitness competition on the National Mall , which kicked off at 9:30 a.m. with teams of soldiers carrying sandbags and climbing ropes.
Those entering the festival entrance would have seen a lone counterprotester standing outside the security checkpoint. He said he had gotten a mixed bag of reactions to his sign.
Other displays at the festival include helicopters, a howitzer and two Boston Dynamics dogs prancing for a small crowd.
37 minutes ago
Trump: Today ‘a big day for America’
Steff Danielle Thomas
President Trump, in his first social posts since responding to Israel’s attack on Iran, gave a nod to the day’s festivities.
“This is a big day for America!!!” he wrote on Truth Social on Saturday morning.
In a subsequent post, he added “HAPPY FLAG DAY.”
41 minutes ago
Trump grapples with prospect of all-out Israel-Iran war
Niall Stanage
President Trump faces a volatile, fast-moving global crisis as Israel and Iran teeter on the brink of all-out war.
The situation is shifting by the moment in the wake of Israel’s attack on multiple sites in Iran and after the latter launched a retaliatory barrage against later on Friday.
There has been no such explicit declaration from the Israeli side, but clearly the two nations are in the middle of a grave clash that could easily spiral even further.
Such a confrontation has the potential to scramble American politics, too.
More analysis here.
42 minutes ago
Veteran protesters arrested ahead of Trump military parade
Sophia Vento
About 60 veterans and family members were arrested outside the US Capitol on Friday ahead of President Trump’s military parade in Washington.
Organizers with Veterans for Peace, per the The Associated Press, said they were hoping to hold a sit-in at the Capitol to protest Saturday’s events as well as the National Guard and Marines presence in Los Angeles.
an hour ago
Army 250th anniversary begins with wreath laying
Sophia Vento
The Army birthday festival kicked off on Saturday morning with a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
an hour ago
Israel-Iran conflict poses new dilemma for Democrats
Mike Lillis
Democrats on Capitol Hill can’t catch a break.
Just as Sen. Alex Padilla’s (D-Calif.) physical clash with Trump administration security officials had given them cause to unite on the otherwise divisive issue of immigration, Israel’s attack on Iran has shifted the national gaze onto yet another radioactive topic that has long split the party.
While many Democrats quickly condemned conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for launching Israel’s assault on Thursday night, many others hailed the decision as a necessary step to put a halt to Tehran’s nuclear expansion.
Read more here.
an hour ago
Israel issues warning to Iran amid tit-for-tat strikes: ‘Tehran will burn’
Ashleigh Fields
Israel issued a stark warning to Iran on Saturday as the two nations continue to exchange fire: Stop the strikes or “Tehran will burn.”
“If [Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei continue to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on social platform X following a closed-door meeting, according to a translation.
“The Iranian dictator is making the residents of Tehran hostage to his criminal policies for the survival of his regime,” he added.
More here.
an hour ago
Here are Saturday’s events in Washington
The Army is celebrating its 250th anniversary in Washington on Saturday. Here is a rundown of the day’s festivities:
8:15 a.m. An Army birthday wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m The Army hosts a fitness event at the National Mall.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Army hosts its birthday festival at the National Mall. The event will feature soldiers, Army astronauts, NFL representatives and Medal of Honor recipients. There will be an opportunity to watch military demonstrations and explore equipment displays.
6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The Army hosts its birthday parade, which will include flyovers and over 6,000 soldiers in uniforms from different time periods. There will also be a parachute demonstration by the Golden Knights. The parade will begin at 23rd St and Constitution Ave NW near the Lincoln Memorial and will conclude at 15th St and Constitution Ave NW near the White House and Washington Monument.
8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Army hosts a live broadcast, concert and fireworks at the National Mall.
an hour ago
How to watch military parade on Trump’s birthday
Elizabeth Crisp
The massive military parade to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary will roll through Washington, D.C., Saturday — coinciding with President Trump’s 79th birthday.
The parade is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. local time, following a daylong festival on the National Mall. Organizers have predicted the parade will last about 90 minutes.
Trump military parade by the numbers
Find out where to watch the parade here.
an hour ago
Two in three Americans oppose using tax money for military parade: poll
Amalia Huot-Marchand
A new survey from the NBC Decision Desk Poll, powered by Survey Monkey, showed that 64 percent of Americans disapprove of the use of state funds for this weekend’s military parade.
Read the full story here.
an hour ago
Five things to know about Trump’s $45 million military parade
Miriam Waldvogel
Washington is gearing up for an extraordinary display of military might on Saturday with a parade and festival to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Army — a day that’s also President Trump’s 79th birthday.
The event has drawn fire for its expected cost as well as its timing, with critics deeming it another example of how Trump has politicized the armed forces. Trump has maintained that the parade is well worth the cost, predicting a boost in Army recruiting.
The parade will be followed by a concert and fireworks, and will be streamed live by The Hill starting at 6 p.m.
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