The divided US capital epitomized a political rift in the United States that Saturday's display of soldiers, tanks and fighter jets looked to further deepen.
For Shaun Dailey, who traveled from neighboring Pennsylvania, the parade was simply a chance to honor the US Army on its birthday, which coincided with Trump's 79th.
"Some of them say that, 'Oh, it looks like North Korea. Oh, it looks like Russia,' because America doesn't do very many military parades. I don't know, because we're told to be ashamed of who we are," the 22-year-old said.
"But I personally don't see that as authoritarian. I don't see it as fascist or whatever. I just see it as a celebration."
Brent Kuykendall, 66, who flew from Texas with his wife to see the parade, agreed that it was a form of "patriotism."
"It's more than Trump. It's to celebrate our country," said Kuykendall, who carried a bag styled with US flags.
But many in liberal Washington were uneasy with the huge military display that has seen much of the downtown area shut down by roadblocks.
Secret Service agents, some with sniffer dogs, prowled the entry points to the National Mall area where the parade was taking place Saturday.
The White House -- typically visible for tourists behind a single metal fence -- was cordoned off with a large black barrier reading "Do not enter."
- 'Military as pawns' -
A few hundred protesters marched to the perimeter to voice their opposition to the military parade -- and Trump's second presidency.
"I flew in to oppose Trump's fascist birthday parade," said Sam Richards, a US army veteran from Minneapolis, some 1,000 miles from Washington.
"All of this feels like a cruel joke, to use people that swore an oath to the Constitution and are devoting their lives to the military as pawns for a guy who wants to be a king," Richards, 34, said.
He was surrounded by activists who held signs reading "Pro USA, anti Trump" and "Americans will not be ruled."
There was also a wooden model where protesters had gathered earlier depicting Trump with an elongated nose, sitting on a toilet with suit trousers around his ankles.
Organizers emphasized the rally should be nonviolent -- but some were still wary of Trump's promise last week that anyone trying to derail the military parade would be met by "heavy force."
"It's very important to stand out here today because there's so many people that are afraid," said Anahi Rivas-Rodriguez, 24, who is from Washington.
She acknowledged she felt "intimidated" by comments made by the president.
"But that does not stop me, because protesting is patriotic."
The Washington protest was among hundreds of rallies taking place across the United States on Saturday, including New York City and Los Angeles.
Bill Kennedy, 68, traveled to the capital from neighboring Pennsylvania as he believed it was crucial to display opposition to Trump.
"I think he needs to see that. You know, he's not going to get away with intimidation, threats, violence and thuggery, that people will still be opposed no matter what," he said.
Trump basks in birthday military parade as protests sweep US
Washington (AFP) June 14, 2025 -
US President Donald Trump reveled in a long dreamt-of military parade on his 79th birthday Saturday, as demonstrators across the country branded him a dictator in the biggest protests since his return to power.
Trump stood and saluted as tanks rumbled past, aircraft roared overhead and nearly 7,000 troops marched through Washington in the largest such parade in the United States in decades.
Chants of "USA! USA!" erupted as the Republican took to a giant stage in front of the White House for the parade which officially marked the 250th birthday of the US Army, but also happened to fall on Trump's own.
The deep political divisions in the United States were underscored however as "No Kings" demonstrators thronged the streets in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Houston and Atlanta.
"I think people are mad as hell," Lindsay Ross, a 28-year-old musician, told AFP in New York, where tens of thousands of people rallied.
The killing of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband Saturday in the northern state of Minnesota -- in what authorities called a targeted attack -- also cast a pall over the parade.
Trump was quick to condemn the attacks outside Minneapolis in which former state speaker Melissa Hortman died along with her husband, while another state lawmaker and his wife were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
- 'Big day' -
Military parades are a more common sight in capitals like Moscow and Pyongyang than Washington, but Trump has openly expressed his wishes for one since his first term.
His dream came true on Saturday with a $45-million spectacle -- although starting around half an hour early because of the threat of thunderstorms raining on his parade.
The procession began with a 21-gun salute followed by the presentation of a flag to Trump by the army's Golden Knights parachute team who dropped from the sky.
Two huge Abrams tanks were stationed in front of the stage where Trump sat.
Troops and military hardware from different eras of US history then passed by, with an announcer reeling off victories over Japanese, German, Chinese and Vietnamese forces in past wars.
Trump, who saluted a number of times and chatted occasionally to First Lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during the parade, was due to give remarks later.
The Republican, who has begun his second term by pushing presidential powers to unprecedented levels, boasted earlier on his Truth Social network that it was a "big day for America!!!"
He added that Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, for whom he has repeatedly expressed admiration, had "very nicely" called him to wish him a happy birthday.
The two leaders also agreed on the need for an end to the Iran-Israel conflict -- a war in which US forces are aiding Israel to shoot down Tehran's missiles.
- 'Vulgar display' -
The White House meanwhile dismissed the "No Kings" rallies as a "complete and utter failure" and said the numbers involved were "miniscule," despite images of streets filled with protesters.
Organizers expected protests in all 50 states against what they call Trump's dictatorial overreach, and in particular what they described as the strongman symbolism of the parade.
Thousands turned out in Los Angeles to protest Trump's deployment of troops in the country's second-largest city following clashes sparked by immigration raids.
Some protesters targeted Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida -- while a small group even gathered in Paris.
"I think it's disgusting," protester Sarah Hargrave, 42, told AFP in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, describing Trump's parade as a "display of authoritarianism."
Critics have accused Trump of acting like the United States's autocratic adversaries.
California's Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Trump for sending National Guard troops into Los Angeles without his consent, called it a "vulgar display of weakness."
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