President Donald Trump shared with reporters inside the Oval Office on Tuesday that he intends to use “heavy force” against anyone protesting his June 14 parade celebrating the Army‘s 250th anniversary.
“If there’s any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,” Trump said. “I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, these are people who hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.”
Trump’s comments came after he deployed the National Guard and 700 Marines to quell the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles.
INSANE : Newspaper ad Paid for by Christy Walton. Walmart heiress. pic.twitter.com/VZHtScXPn5
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) June 10, 2025
Trump’s decision to organize a military parade, which happens to fall on his birthday and Flag Day, has drawn criticism rooted in its $45 million price tag and accusations that the festivities serve to stroke Trump’s ego.
Walmart heiress Christy Walton purchased a full colored page ad in the New York Times advertising June 14 as “No Kings Day.” While the ad does not explicitly mention Trump, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) asserted that the mobilization call is “a nationwide counter protest schedule for Trump’s birthday.”
The Secret Service shared on Monday that it is currently tracking nine small protests.
“From a Secret Service perspective, it’s simply people using that First Amendment right to protest because we’re not going to do anything with that,” Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, told ABC News. “But if that turns violent or any laws are broken, that’s when [the Metropolitan Police Department], Park Police, Secret Service will be involved.”
The parade will take place in downtown Washington, D.C. It will feature 50 military vehicles, including 25 M1 Abrams main battle tanks and 50 helicopters, as well as performances from seven military bands “to highlight the Army’s 250 years of service to the nation,” according to Army officials. There will also be 6,000 military troops present, wearing the uniforms of U.S. military service members from every military conflict since the Revolutionary War.
TRUMP MILITARY PARADE: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ARMY’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION IN DC
“We’re preparing for an enormous turnout, hundreds of thousands of attendees. It’s our duty to ensure the safety and security of every participant. We are deploying thousands of agents, officers, and specialists from across the country,” McCool said.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House to clarify what Trump meant by “big force.”
