This Saturday, June 14, 2025, President Donald Trump plans to celebrate his 79th birthday with a grand military parade in Washington, D.C., coinciding with Flag Day and the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. The event is expected to feature approximately 7,000 troops, 150 military vehicles, and 50 helicopters, along with historical uniforms, demonstrations, concerts, and fireworks. I, for one, will certainly be checking it out. I wish I could be there in person.
Our buddy Tim Kennedy will be there, though. Be sure to follow him on IG for all kinds of timely patriotic updates.
Critics (and general other stick-in-the-mud types) argue that the parade is less about honoring the military and more about showcasing Trump‘s authoritarian tendencies. The estimated cost of the parade ranges from $25 million to $45 million, raising concerns over taxpayer spending and infrastructure damage. This pales in comparison to the Biden era spending of over one trillion (yep, trillion, with a T) dollars for DEI initiatives since 2021.
This Saturday, June 14, 2025, President Donald Trump plans to celebrate his 79th birthday with a grand military parade in Washington, D.C., coinciding with Flag Day and the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. The event is expected to feature approximately 7,000 troops, 150 military vehicles, and 50 helicopters, along with historical uniforms, demonstrations, concerts, and fireworks. I, for one, will certainly be checking it out. I wish I could be there in person.
Our buddy Tim Kennedy will be there, though. Be sure to follow him on IG for all kinds of timely patriotic updates.
Critics (and general other stick-in-the-mud types) argue that the parade is less about honoring the military and more about showcasing Trump‘s authoritarian tendencies. The estimated cost of the parade ranges from $25 million to $45 million, raising concerns over taxpayer spending and infrastructure damage. This pales in comparison to the Biden era spending of over one trillion (yep, trillion, with a T) dollars for DEI initiatives since 2021.
The Rise of “No Kings”
This Saturday, June 14th, President Donald Trump will celebrate his 79th birthday in the best way he knows how—by throwing himself a thunderous, taxpayer-funded military parade in Washington, D.C., complete with tanks, helicopters, historical reenactments, and more flag-waving than a Soviet May Day spectacle. But while Trump waves from the stands and basks in the fumes of idling armored vehicles, liberal America will be flipping him the constitutional bird.
In a coordinated nationwide response dubbed “No Kings Day,” a coalition of progressive advocacy groups—most prominently the 50501 Movement—is organizing a massive protest effort to reject what they see as the creeping authoritarianism of the Trump administration. Nearly 2,000 protests are scheduled across every state and U.S. territory. It’s not just big cities joining in—small towns, courthouse steps, and public parks will be crowded with Americans who’ve had it up to here with what they deem to be imperial cosplay from the Oval Office.
Here’s the kicker: not a single protest is planned in Washington, D.C. That’s by design. Organizers don’t want to give the Trump machine an excuse to shift the story from nationwide outrage to the optics of confrontation in the capital. Instead, they’re planting their flags everywhere else, focusing on towns where everyday Americans live, work, and still believe in democracy over demagoguery. Philadelphia will host the flagship event, beginning at Love Park and marching to the iconic steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art—a patriotic reroute of Rocky’s old path, but with more placards and a lot less jogging. I’m sure that Sylvester Stallone, a prominent Trump supporter, is not exactly thrilled about that.
The protests will stretch coast to coast. Los Angeles (surprise, surprise) is expecting one of the biggest turnouts—organizers estimate up to 250,000 people across events at City Hall, Hollywood, Historic Filipinotown, and Pico-Robertson. In Seattle, demonstrators will gather at Cal Anderson Park. In Houston, it’s City Hall. Portland’s staging ground is Tom McCall Waterfront Park, while Milwaukee will convene at Cathedral Square. From Boston’s Daley Plaza to Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Park, it’s shaping up to be one of the largest coordinated protest efforts in modern U.S. history.
Some other hot zones include Charlotte, North Carolina, where marchers will flood Uptown from First Ward Park; Providence, Rhode Island, rallying at the State House; and Oklahoma City, where folks will hit City Park despite local grumbling. Sioux Falls, Memphis, Montpelier, Charleston, Cheyenne—you name it, it’s happening. Even places like Huntington, West Virginia and Charlottesville, Virginia are on the map, proving this isn’t just a blue-state affair. And let’s not forget Florida. Despite warnings and saber-rattling from Governor Ron DeSantis, protests are planned in cities across the Sunshine State, including Northeast Florida.
Organizers are stressing nonviolence across the board. This isn’t supposed to be a window-smashing, Molotov-chucking tantrum. The desire is for an old-school protest: speeches, marches, signs, flags, chants. You might even see some military veterans marching with the same sense of duty they brought to foreign soil—only this time, they’re defending democracy from threats on the home front.
Diverse Voices, Unified Message
The “No Kings” protests are not limited to traditional political activists. In Midland, Michigan, the “No Kings, Just Queens” rally will feature Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and drag performers, highlighting the movement’s inclusivity and support for the LGBTQ community.
Hegseth’s gonna love that one.
In Oklahoma City, local groups like OKC Indivisible and 5051 OKC are organizing marches to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies and to advocate for the rights of undocumented immigrants. And Oklahoma, as a rule, is about as pro-Trump as it gets.
Seattle will host protests at the University of Washington’s Red Square and Cal Anderson Park, focusing on opposing what organizers describe as “increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption” by the Trump administration.
The Symbolism of June 14
The choice of June 14 for both the parade and the protests is laden with symbolism. Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the U.S. flag, a symbol of the nation’s values and unity. By holding a military parade on this day, critics argue that Trump is attempting to appropriate patriotic symbols for personal glorification.
Conversely, the “No Kings” movement seeks to reclaim the flag as a symbol of democracy and resistance against authoritarianism. Organizers encourage participants to wave the flag and march alongside veterans to demonstrate true patriotism.
Let’s hope we don’t see any flag burning in the process. For some reason, protesters tend to love to do that for some reason. Please respect our flag, don’t burn it.
Wrapping Up
As the nation braces for a day of contrasting events—a grand military parade in the capital and widespread protests across the country—the “No Kings” movement represents a significant moment of civic engagement and resistance. Whether these demonstrations will lead to substantive political change remains to be seen, but they undeniably signal a robust opposition to perceived authoritarianism and a call to uphold democratic principles.
Anyway you slice it, it’s going to be a heck of an interesting weekend.
Buckle up and enjoy the ride, America.
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