As Washington, D.C., wraps up cleanup from the World Pride celebrations over the weekend, attention is now turning to a starkly different major event — Saturday’s military parade marking both the Army’s 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
“We’re preparing for an enormous turnout,” said Matt McCool of the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, noting that more than 18 miles of anti-scale fencing would be installed and drones deployed — a rare move in D.C.’s typically drone-restricted airspace. Army officials estimate around 200,000 people could attend the nighttime parade, but McCool said they are ready for “hundreds of thousands.”
To manage security, 175 magnetometers will be placed at checkpoints for both the daytime festivities and the parade. “If a million people show up, then we’re going to have some lines,” he added.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith warned of major traffic disruptions and urged attendees to take public transit and arrive early. “This is a significant event with a large footprint,” she said, stressing the need for public vigilance and cooperation.
The parade has been classified as a National Special Security Event — a designation typically reserved for high-profile gatherings such as inaugurations — which triggers heightened interagency coordination led by the Secret Service and involving the FBI, National Guard, Capitol Police, and city officials.
The Army’s birthday event had been in planning for months, but President Trump recently announced plans to expand it into a full-scale military parade, complete with heavy armor like M1 Abrams tanks and Paladin howitzers. Several counter-protests are planned for the same day, including the “No Kings” march to the White House.
Officials are also monitoring whether the immigration-related unrest in Los Angeles might inspire similar disruptions in D.C.
“We’re watching closely and we’ll be ready,” McCool said. “We have a robust plan for handling civil disobedience.”
According to the FBI’s Washington Field Office, there are currently no credible threats to the event.
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Lindsey Appiah acknowledged that while the city had long planned the Army celebration, Trump’s involvement significantly scaled it up. Still, she noted, “the city has become very flexible and nimble in adapting to rapid changes.”
