President Donald Trump is celebrating the Army’s 250th anniversary — and his own 79th birthday — with a massive, multimillion-dollar military parade Saturday in Washington.
But one group of otherwise devoted Trump allies largely won’t be there to celebrate: congressional Republicans.
Among the 50 GOP lawmakers surveyed by POLITICO, only six said they planned to stay in Washington this weekend for the festivities. Those begging off include members of the Republican leadership in both chambers.
The chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, the top congressional officials overseeing the military, are skipping Trump’s pageantry, which includes a flyover of vintage and contemporary warplanes. Instead, they’ll attend a different air show — the annual defense industry confab in Paris.
Among those attending will be some of Trump’s most devoted House supporters, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. “Yes, of course,” she said Tuesday. “I’m going to be there for the 250th anniversary of the Army.”
MAGA stalwarts Byron Donalds of Florida, Elise Stefanik of New York and Cory Mills of Florida also said they would attend, along with Reps. Rich McCormick of Georgia, John McGuire of Virginia and Lisa McClain of Michigan.
But many more said they would beg off — choosing, as most members do, to stay away from Washington for the weekend.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Majority Whip John Barrasso are skipping, as is House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he’ll be back in Alabama campaigning for governor. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin said it’s his anniversary, and “I choose to be married.” Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said the event conflicts with his daughter’s 18th birthday.
West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice said he’s a no but added that doesn’t “mean that I’m against it.”
“It’s great celebrating President Trump’s birthday, and I think it’s great celebrating the military,” Justice told reporters Tuesday. “We haven’t done that in a long time.”
Among those skipping are several military veterans and members of the two Armed Services panels. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a former Air Force reservist, said Tuesday he’s not planning to attend, though he left open the possibility. Other senators who have served in the military and are planning to sit out the celebration include Sens. Todd Young of Indiana, Rick Scott of Florida and Tim Sheehy of Montana.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast of Florida, another veteran, said Tuesday he’s unsure whether he’ll attend.
Other prominent House Republicans are also skipping. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris said he won’t attend, though his home is less than a two-hour drive from D.C. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole said he’s heading home.
“It’s celebrating the birthday of the Army and I think it’s a good thing to do,” Cole said. “I just didn’t get to go home last week and I’d like to get to go this week.”
Asked if he was attending, Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker of Mississippi said, “I’ll be at the air show” — an apparent reference to next week’s Paris Air Show, where defense contractors peddle their latest wares. House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers of Alabama confirmed that’s where he’ll be.
Speaker Mike Johnson’s office did not respond to a request for comment on his plans.
The White House is shrugging off the absences. An official granted anonymity to describe plans for the event said senior military leaders and at least 15 Cabinet members, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, are expected to attend.
“President Trump looks forward to a historic crowd at the Army Birthday Parade, where he will be joined by top military leaders, administration officials, congressional representatives, and most importantly, thousands of patriotic Americans to celebrate 250 years of honor, courage, and sacrifice by our United States military,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.
Many Hill Republicans have shrugged off the parade’s hefty price tag. But a few have raised concerns. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said in an Army budget hearing last week that the costs could range from $25 million to $40 million. He said he could not provide an exact estimate because the Army could not predict how much damage its tanks would do to the District’s streets, potentially necessitating costly repairs.
“I don’t want to take anything away from celebrating the anniversary of our armed forces if it helps with recruiting and patriotism,” Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington said in a brief interview. “But it depends on what that number is. If it’s $100 million, it causes one to pause.”
Military leaders have defended the parade as a vital recruiting tool. But Democrats have railed against the administration for prioritizing pageantry over service members and their families. The parade, set to run along the north side of the National Mall, begins near the Pentagon — in the Virginia district represented by Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, who sees the event as a waste of money.
“Like his deployment of the military in L.A., it’s a shocking waste of money at a time they are closing Social Security offices ‘to save money,’” Beyer said in a statement. “They’re shutting down our regional transportation including the airport for this, and people I hear from in the military don’t even want it, the whole thing is just to boost Trump’s fragile ego.”
Trump warned Tuesday that protesters who show up to the Saturday parade will be met with “very big force.” Demonstrations to counter the parade are planned for other cities.
Beyer said Trump’s threat only added to “the trappings of authoritarianism” the parade already carried.
Roughly 6,600 troops are expected in Washington. The Army plans to roll 25 M1 Abrams main battle tanks and 150 vehicles down Constitution Avenue. A World War II-vintage B-25 bomber and P-1 fighter will join the parade, along with Vietnam-era Huey helicopters. Soldiers marching in the parade will wear uniforms from every conflict the U.S. has fought, from the Revolutionary War to the present day.
Jordain Carney, Ben Jacobs and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
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