Forbes reports social media activists on TikTok claimed credit for the modest crowd size. Users in the U.S., Canada, Scotland and Australia claimed they reserved tickets with no plans to attend. One video showing people how to reserve tickets for the parade, which were free, received more than a million views.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung is claiming 250,000 "patriots" attended Saturday's military parade in Washington D..C., despite the pictures of largely empty bleachers and lawns during the event.

Trump's $45 Million Army Parade Sparks Criticism, Protests Across US | Firstpost America | N18G Over the weekend, Washington hosted a large-scale military parade marking 250 years of the US Army. Ordered by President Donald Trump on his 79th birthday,

Officials decry economic fallout from the immigration raids amid confusion over Trump's threats to intensify the crackdown.

On June 11, 2025, a screenshot of an alleged Craigslist advertisement seeking "seat fillers" for an event in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2025 — the same day as a military parade on U.S. President Donald Trump's birthday — began to make the rounds on social media.