‘Worst, sloppiest marching’: Netizens mock ‘boring $50 million’ US military parade, videos go viral

Several on social media mocked the largest US military parade in decades as the "most low-energy military parade in history." US President Donald Trump hosted the military parade on June 14 -- the day that marked Trump's 79th birthday and the US Army’s 250th birthday.

Trump’s military parade had kicked off in Washington with a 21-gun salute, tanks and troops, as well as helicopters and parachutists. However, a day later, netizens took potshots, saying that “Trump really pulled off the most low-energy military parade in history.”

Several videos from the parade went viral on social media. One person who shared the footage on X said, “...this is easily the worst and sloppiest marching I've ever witnessed at a formal military parade.”

Another user said, “I really thought Trump’s police state parade would look fascist and scary. Instead it’s just humiliating.”

Another comment read, “Trump’s sad military parade was empty stands and old tanks squeaking along to total silence. Complete and utter FAIL.”

"These soldiers couldn’t be further from marching in lockstep," a user noted, while another said, "It was just not well executed..."

Many also said that "this was worse than not having a parade." One X user even took a dig saying, “Marching out of sync, old tanks, no energy, no modern tech — just a boring $50 million parade.”

Meanwhile, an article in Rolling Stone was headlined as "Trump’s Military Birthday Parade Was a Gross Failure."

The "hideously expensive" military parade in Washington, DC, was deemed by many as a "waste of money". According to Bloomberg, the parade is expected to cost $45 million, an estimate that includes potential damage to major District of Columbia streets from heavy tank treads.

As the military parade was underway, police in Los Angeles fired tear gas and flash bangs to try to disperse demonstrators challenging immigration raids. Clouds of gas wafted toward a family-friendly demonstration that had been going for hours outside City Hall.

In his address to the parade, Trump sent a warning to Washington's adversaries of "total and complete" defeat, with the United States increasingly at risk of getting tangled up in Israel's conflict with Iran.

"Time and again, America's enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you," Trump was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.