The military parade to honor the Army‘s 250th anniversary has ballooned in cost from anywhere between $25 million and $45 million.
The parade in Washington, D.C., is scheduled for June 14, the Army’s semiquincentennial and President Donald Trump‘s birthday. Details about the parade began to surface earlier this year, with the Washington Post reporting the cost could be as much as $45 million.
Trump was asked about the parade and its cost in an interview for NBC News’s Meet the Press earlier this month. He defended the planned parade’s cost as being worth it.
“Peanuts compared to the value of doing it. We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we’re going to celebrate it,” Trump said.
The parade is expected to include “approximately 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 6,600 Soldiers to highlight the Army’s 250 years of service to the nation,” alongside other events in D.C., including fireworks, a festival on the National Mall, military demonstrations, musical performances, and a fitness competition.
The Army is planning to hold the soldiers in town for the parade at the Department of Agriculture building and a former government warehouse in D.C., according to planning documents obtained by USA Today.
ARMY PLANS PARADE TO CELEBRATE 250TH ANNIVERSARY ON TRUMP’S BIRTHDAY
The report also found that officials are struggling to find uniforms from the War of 1812 and the Spanish-American War for soldiers to wear in the parade, which is slated to feature soldiers in uniforms from various periods.
White House officials have pegged the Army’s 250th anniversary as one of the first events to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Trump had discussed holding a military parade during his first term, but the idea was scrapped over rising costs.