Over the weekend ending 15th June, Donald Trump presided over the spectacle he’s always craved: a full-scale military parade through Washington DC, with tanks rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, soldiers in full dress, and Trump himself beaming like a child in a toy store. The occasion? Officially, it was to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. Unofficially, it was Donald J. Trump’s 79th birthday and a made-for-TV affirmation of America’s “new” style of leadership.
Crowds lined the streets, their reactions split between diehard MAGA fans and a vast, multi-city coalition of “No Kings” protesters determined to turn Trump’s moment of triumph into a national reckoning. Tens of thousands rallied against the spectacle, waving placards, blowing bubbles, and, in Los Angeles and DC, facing off with riot police and clouds of tear gas. The slogan—“No Kings”—became the trending chant and headline across newsfeeds and TV screens, from the BBC’s live coverage to viral clips of protestors staring down tanks.
The White House billed the event as a “celebration of American might,” but the choreography was unmistakable: a strongman’s fantasy brought to life, with dissent policed and critics denounced as unpatriotic. As the Guardian and Politico reported, rubber bullets and stun grenades were used against protestors outside the LA federal building, with police moving swiftly to restore the “optics” of order.
Every network—from Sky to Al Jazeera to the BBC—ran split-screen coverage of tanks, flags, and clashes with police. The administration claimed a “peaceful celebration,” while critics from the Financial Times to The Verge called it a dark turning point—America’s democracy on parade, and on edge.
History will remember this weekend for its optics: an aging president, tanks for toys, and the largest anti-Trump street movement since 2021. In the end, Trump got his parade—and his protest, too. The “No Kings” chant still echoes, a warning that even in a divided America, the people have not surrendered the streets.