President Donald Trump Celebrates 79th Birthday Amid U.S. Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, D.C.

As President Donald Trump concluded his remarks along U.S. 50 in downtown Washington, the crowd of thousands spontaneously began singing “Happy Birthday” to the president, who turned 79 on Saturday. With a warm smile, Trump paused to receive a folded U.S. flag from a young Army officer representing the U.S. Army Golden Knights. The flag had flown over the Capitol earlier that day in honor of the nation’s oldest military branch.

The event marked a grand military parade commemorating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, coinciding with President Trump’s birthday. Alongside the president and first lady Melania Trump, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth saluted as the celebrations honored the long history of the American military.

However, the parade drew criticism, primarily from left-leaning voices who argued the event blurred the lines between honoring the military and personal political spectacle. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a vocal Trump critic, condemned the parade on a recent podcast, stating, “I’m horrified by the parade, because this is not about honoring our military. It’s a military vanity show for a president who’s long wanted to have tanks rolling down the streets of our nation’s capital.”

In addition, Representative Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) has proposed the “HAPPY BIRTHDAY Budget Act,” legislation aimed at banning the use of taxpayer funds for such celebrations.

Despite the controversy, the parade proceeded, with Trump praising U.S. soldiers for their relentless fighting spirit, declaring, “Our soldiers fight, fight, fight—and they win, win, win.”