WASHINGTON, June 15, 2025 — What was billed as a grand 79th birthday-military spectacle quickly turned into a PR nightmare for former President Donald Trump. Despite millions invested (estimated $25–45 M), his parade along Constitution Avenue suffered from a pathetically low turnout, with bleachers half-empty and few attendees braving the light rain .
Trump, visibly agitated, reportedly expected far larger crowds. The absence of major GOP figures—Ivanka, Jared Kushner—and muffled audio along the route only compounded the sense of anticlimax. Melania and dignitaries like Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth were caught yawning or looking bored.
Meanwhile, “No Kings” protests galvanized nationwide—hundreds of thousands rallying in over 2,000 cities—sharpening the contrast between a flop in D.C. and public defiance.
Insiders say Trump was furious, calling the turnout a “personal snub.” Supporters called it a show of patriotism, critics blasted it as authoritarian grandstanding and taxpayer waste.
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