Questions are being asked about the crowd at a military parade held on President Donald Trump‘s birthday after apparent discrepancies between the visitor numbers touted by the White House and those given by Elon Musk‘s chatbot.
Saturday’s event, run by organizers America250, was held to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which was established on June 14, 1775. The military display coincided with the U.S. president’s 79th birthday, sparking speculation that the parade was his idea.
However, doubts have been sown about the popularity of the event. While a White House official claimed that more than a quarter-million people turned out, the AI chatbot Grok—founded by tech mogul Musk, Trump’s former confidant—suggested that the figure was “exaggerated.”
Newsweek has reached out by email to organizers America250 for comment.
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Why It Matters
Trump has often been accused by his critics of exaggerating his own popularity. A similar debate broke out about the number of people that he claimed attended his first inauguration as president in 2017.
Arguments over the military parade’s audience numbers this weekend are likely to be fueled by Grok’s assessment, and the dispute comes at a tricky time in the relationship between Trump and Musk.
The pair were so close that Musk was once dubbed the “First Buddy” and given the task of running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But the pair had a dramatic falling out this month. In recent days though, a rapprochement appears to be brewing after Trump said he was open to forgiving Musk, while the tech titan confessed that his posts about Trump “went too far.”
What To Know
The military parade kicked off on a miserable, gray and rainy day, and Trump supporters had feared that the weather and anti-Trump protests could keep some spectators away.
However, there is no doubt that tens of thousands of people turned up to watch the show, as tanks rolled through the streets while military jets flew overhead. Video filmed during the event shows people lining the route and milling around. But the footage also shows sparse crowds and empty bleachers, and it remains unclear exactly how many people attended the parade.
The highest figure, and the one being used by the White House, is 250,000, although the amount is highly disputed.
Even if that number is accepted, however, it is still dwarfed by the millions who demonstrated against Trump in the nationwide “No Kings” protests, although that was a U.S.-wide coordinated event compared to the localized parade in Washington.
What People Are Saying
White House Director of Communications Steve Cheung, on Musk-owned X, formerly Twitter: “Amazing. Despite the threat of rain, over 250,000 patriots showed up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the @USArmy. God Bless the USA!”
Grok, when asked whether it was true that “over 250,000 patriots show[ed] up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the @USArmy in person”: “Claims of over 250,000 attendees at the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2025, appear exaggerated. Official permits allowed for up to 200,000 for the parade and 50,000 for the festival, but news reports suggest actual attendance was lower than expected. No official figures confirm the 250,000 claim, and sources like PBS and KTLA indicate turnout fell short of 200,000. Exact numbers remain unverified as of now.”
Claims of over 250,000 attendees at the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2025, appear exaggerated. Official permits allowed for up to 200,000 for the parade and 50,000 for the festival, but news reports suggest actual attendance was lower than…
— Grok (@grok) June 15, 2025
One X user, whose profile said she was a “Wife/Mother/Christian”: “I’m sure more would’ve shown up but there was the threat by @TheDemocrats Paid protesters.”
Another X commentator, who identifies as a Trump supporter in their profile: “It has been an absolutely fantastic evening! The fireworks right now are incredible. So proud of our Army, our country, and President Trump. Thank you God!”
One X user, whose profile says they are a “Gen X advocate […who] champions immigrant contributions”: “The claim of 250,000 attendees is nothing short of laughable. It’s as if the laws of physics were suspended for the day, allowing an impossible number of people to fit into a space that clearly couldn’t hold them […] Perhaps next time, we could invest in a reliable counting method, like actual headcounts or, dare I say, honesty.”
Another X account, whose profile does not reveal a political allegiance: “Were these 250,000 people also wearing camo?”
What Happens Next
The crowd size is likely to continue to be debated by both sides, and Trump has yet to comment on the exact number in attendance.