News Media Set For Busy Saturday Covering Parade, Protests

Fox News Channel To Provide Extensive Coverage

Washington, DC, will host its largest military parade in over three decades tomorrow to commemorate the US Army’s 250th anniversary. The event, expected to cost $25M to $45M, also coincides with Flag Day and the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump, who is expected to give an address. 

Festivities begin on the National Mall with a morning fitness competition and conclude with a parachute jump, concert, and fireworks. The roughly mile-long, three-hour parade (starting at 6:30 pm ET) is expected to draw about 200,000 spectators and feature more than 6,000 soldiers, dozens of aircraft, more than 100 vehicles, several horses, two mules, and one cavalry dog traveling from Texas. A similar event Trump proposed in 2018 was canceled due to expected high expenses. 

The last military parade honored the end of the Gulf War in 1991, with similar events historically reserved for war victories and presidential inaugurations. Meanwhile, over 1,800 demonstrations are planned nationwide to counter the parade and protest the administration’s policies.

The parade, coinciding with Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, features over 6,600 troops, 150 vehicles (including 28 tanks), 50 aircraft flyovers, a fitness competition, parachute jumps, a concert, and fireworks along the National Mall. 

Here’s how coverage is likely to unfold:

ABC: As a broadcast network, ABC will likely prioritize logistical and visual coverage, airing segments on Good Morning America and evening news. Expect live shots of the parade route (Constitution Avenue), flyovers, and the West Point band, with neutral reporting on the Army’s milestone. ABC may briefly note protests, like the “No Kings” rallies, but avoid deep political analysis to maintain broad appeal. Weather concerns (50-90% rain chance) will be highlighted, per local affiliate reporting. Coverage will be accessible via ABC News Live streaming.

CBS: CBS, with its history of detailed reporting (e.g., 2019 parade coverage), will emphasize the event’s scale—tanks at Joint Base Andrews, parachute jumps, and the fitness competition. CBS Evening News and CBS Mornings will feature interviews with military officials and attendees, framing it as a patriotic tribute. Political context, including Trump’s role and protests, will be covered lightly, with nods to the $40 million cost (per USA Today). CBS’s livestream, noted by WTOP, will offer real-time visuals. Expect balanced but cautious reporting to avoid alienating viewers.

NBC: NBC’s coverage, via Today and NBC Nightly News, will focus on spectacle—flyovers, fireworks, and the concert—while noting logistical impacts like Reagan National Airport’s four-hour closure (per WLWT). Local affiliate NBC4 Washington will provide weather updates and traffic alerts. NBC may address protests and Trump’s birthday tie-in, framing them as secondary to the Army’s anniversary, but with a slight liberal tilt, citing critics like Rep. Moulton on costs (The Washington Post). MSNBC’s influence may seep into evening segments, but broadcast coverage will stay relatively neutral.

Fox News: Fox News will likely champion the parade as a patriotic showcase of military strength, aligning with Trump’s vision (inspired by Bastille Day, per CBS News). Expect enthusiastic coverage of tanks, Black Hawks, and troop formations, with anchors like Sean Hannity or Laura Ingraham praising Trump’s leadership. Protests will be downplayed or framed as anti-military.

CNN: CNN will cover the parade’s visuals—flyovers, fireworks, and the 6,600 troops—but with a critical lens on its political undertones. Anchors like Jake Tapper may highlight Trump’s birthday overlap and his long-standing parade obsession, framing it “authoritarian” (per USA Today). Expect significant protest coverage, with reporters embedded at D.C. rallies and graphics showing the 1,800 nationwide “No Kings” events. The $40 million price tag and airport closure will draw scrutiny, alongside weather risks.

MSNBC: MSNBC will likely frame the parade as a Trump-driven spectacle, emphasizing its cost, timing, and authoritarian optics (e.g., Sen. Adam Schiff’s “dictator-style” critique, per USA Today). Rachel Maddow or Chris Hayes may draw historical parallels to authoritarian regimes, spotlighting protests and pro-democracy events like D.C.’s picnic (per NPR). Military aspects—troops, flyovers—will be secondary to political analysis, with minimal focus on logistics or weather. Expect heavy use of critical X commentary and interviews with protest organizers. Coverage will cater to progressive viewers, risking one-sidedness.

All networks will air live footage, with local affiliates providing real-time updates on weather and crowds. Visuals of tanks, Black Hawks, and fireworks will be universal, but framing differs—Fox News and broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) will lean toward patriotism or neutrality, while CNN and MSNBC will emphasize political controversy.

Outlets like USA Today, CBS News, and WTOP are emphasizing practical details—parade route (Constitution Avenue, 23rd to 15th Street NW), timing (6:30 p.m. ET), road closures, and viewing options (livestreams on WTOP, FOX 5 DC). They highlight the event’s grandeur, with AP News providing visuals of tanks and Black Hawk helicopters staged at Joint Base Andrews. Expect live broadcasts, aerial shots of flyovers, and interviews with attendees and military officials. Weather concerns, with a 50-90% chance of rain or thunderstorms, will be a recurring theme, as noted by NBC4 Washington and The New York Times, with Trump’s insistence on proceeding rain or shine likely to be quoted.

Political Controversy and Protests: The parade’s overlap with Trump’s birthday and his long-standing desire for such an event (inspired by France’s Bastille Day, per CBS News) will fuel critical coverage. Liberal-leaning outlets like CNN, The Washington Post, and New York Magazine will highlight the “No Kings” protests, with 1,800 rallies planned nationwide against Trump’s administration. NPR and WTOP note anti-Trump demonstrations, including a pro-democracy picnic in D.C., with organizers like D.C. Citizens decrying the parade’s politicization.