‘Rain won’t stop us, but if there’s…’: Trump’s birthday parade in the cloud of doubt, says report

Plans for a military parade in Washington to celebrate President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday on Saturday are now uncertain, as officials weigh the possibility of cancellation due to forecasted thunderstorms, according to The Times report.

The event is to mark the 250th anniversary of the US army, but weather concerns have prompted event organisers to reassess safety and logistics. A final decision is expected soon, pending updated forecasts, added the report.

“Rain won’t stop us, the tanks don’t melt, but if there’s lightning then that puts the crowd at risk … they will disperse the crowd and even cancel or postpone the parade. It will depend on the president, too, when he’s available,” The Times quoted Steve Warren, its chief spokesman, as saying.

According to The Times report, The US Army has lined up a full day of events in Washington on Saturday to mark its 250th anniversary, set to culminate in a grand 6:30 pm parade featuring 6,600 troops, tanks, and even a live message from an astronaut in space.

But with thunderstorms forecast to hit the capital by late afternoon, the spectacle — tied to President Trump’s 79th birthday — now faces possible cancellation, added the report.

Trump, inspired by France’s Bastille Day parade in 2017, has long pushed for such a display.

He has called the upcoming event “an unforgettable celebration” and warned that protesters would be “met with very big force.”

That warning comes amid plans by “No Kings,” a protest group organising 1,800 demonstrations nationwide against Trump’s immigration policies and protest crackdowns.

The parade’s cost, estimated at $25–45 million, has drawn criticism, though Trump has dismissed it as “peanuts compared to the value of doing it.”

Warren said the final call would rest with the army’s chief of staff, who will be advised by the operations specialists on crowd safety in the case of lightning.

“It’s June in Washington DC. We get thunderstorms. You could delay it, you could look at it and say this is just passing through. Or say, hey, this is a storm which gets bigger for a while,” Warren was quoted as saying.

With inputs from agencies