Opponents of President Donald Trump are planning to flood the streets of hundreds of cities on Saturday, countering his birthday blowout and military parade with protests collectively dubbed “No Kings Day.”
The mass mobilization lands on June 14—Flag Day, the Army’s 250th birthday, and Trump’s 79th birthday. What was once billed as a modest, patriotic celebration is now shaping up to be another taxpayer-funded ego trip for Trump.
“This country doesn’t belong to a king,” said Indivisible, one of dozens of advocacy groups behind the protests. “No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.”
What is Trump’s military parade?
Trump’s parade is set to begin Saturday at 6:30 PM ET, following a daylong Army birthday celebration on the National Mall. While the Army’s 250th was already scheduled, Trump intensified plans this spring by ordering tanks and howitzers into D.C.—a desire of his dating back to his first term.
There will be M1 Abrams battle tanks, Paladin artillery weapons, and plenty of fanfare—assuming storms don’t cause a delay or cancellation.
What will the festival and parade involve?
The made-for-TV spectacle is expected to include rocket launchers, missiles, and a display of military power that any wannabe autocrat would love. Roughly 6,700 troops, 150 vehicles, and 50 aircraft will converge on Washington for the parade.
Festivities will kick off Saturday morning with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by a fitness competition and an Army birthday festival on the National Mall, complete with military demonstrations and equipment displays.
The day will culminate with a full-scale military parade rolling through the streets of D.C. Expect at least 28 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 tracked Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 20 Stryker combat vehicles, along with other heavy artillery.
Also making an appearance: 34 horses, two mules, and one very lucky dog. A rocket launcher system used in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria will be on display, along with a lineup of precision-guided missiles, according to Axios.
In the skies, flyovers will include Apache, Black Hawk, and Chinook helicopters, plus vintage aircraft, like a WWII-era B-25 bomber and P-51 Mustang.
“It’s going to be a parade, the likes of which I don’t know if we’ve ever had a parade like that,” Trump told reporters Monday. “We have a lot of those army airplanes flying over the top, and we have tanks all over the place.”
Remind me again: Why Trump is doing this?
Trump has long envied foreign displays of power. After witnessing France’s Bastille Day parade in 2017, he returned to Washington eager to recreate it. While those plans stalled for years, he’ll finally get his wish on Saturday: a grand display of U.S. military might in the capital, on his birthday. The event has drawn bipartisan criticism, with some Republicans bowing out over the steep price tag.
Wait, how expensive will this thing get?!
The official estimated cost is between $25 and $45 million.
And new research from the Democratic super PAC American Bridge 21st Century, shared exclusively with Daily Kos, shows that federal agencies have quietly funneled over $500,000 to support Trump’s vanity project—covering everything from consulting contracts and commemorative coins to cleaning services and towering, self-promotional banners.
On Jan. 31, the National Gallery of Art paid $64,000 for consulting. Since then, the General Services Administration and the Treasury Department have contributed to commemorative-coin production, building maintenance, and more.
On June 12, the Department of Agriculture paid $16,400 for large banners featuring Trump’s official portrait and former President Abraham Lincoln, emblazoned with the slogan, “Growing America Since 1862.”
The individual amounts aren’t staggering, but they arrive as the Trump administration has cut key programs for veterans, fired thousands of federal workers, and reduced services millions of Americans rely on—all in the name of cost-cutting.
Turns out, they found the money for some fancy coins and banners of Trump’s face, though.
What are the “No Kings Day” protests?
More than 1,800 protests are scheduled nationwide, in what organizers say could be the largest anti-Trump demonstration since the beginning of his second term. The movement gained momentum after Trump recently deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles to respond to protests against his brutal immigration agenda.
“We’re not letting [Trump] throw himself a parade funded by tens of millions of our taxpayer dollars while stealing from us and stripping away our rights, our freedoms, and the programs our families rely on,” said Indivisible.
Where can I find a protest near me?
The website NoKings.org has a full list of protests.
Interestingly, there won’t be a D.C. protest organized by No Kings. While Trump certainly wants a spectacle, organizers say they’d prefer to shift the spotlight elsewhere.
“We will make action everywhere else the story of America that day,” the group said in a statement posted to their website.
Leah Greenberg, co-head of Indivisible, told Axios the group skipped a D.C. march “to keep the focus on contrast, and not give the Trump administration an opportunity to stoke and then put the focus on conflict.”
Instead, the movement’s flagship event will be held in Philadelphia, with additional rallies planned throughout Maryland and Virginia.
How will Trump respond to protestors who interrupt his party?
In typical fashion: threats and bravado.
Speaking from the Oval Office on June 10, Trump said any protestors at his parade “will be met with very big force.”
“I haven’t even heard about a protest,” he added. “But you know, this is people that hate our country. But they will be met with very heavy force.”
How are states responding?
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has matched Trump’s aggressive posture. On Thursday, he announced the deployment of over 5,000 Texas National Guard troops and more than 2,000 state police officers ahead of the protests.
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has all but encouraged violence against demonstrators, reasserting that Floridians are legally protected if they hit protesters with their cars.
Between the tanks, the protests, and Trump’s birthday spectacle, the weekend is shaping up to be chaotic. Whether you’re marching, spectating, or just trying to navigate D.C., expect crowds, noise, and disruption—and stay safe out there.