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Sydney Morning Herald
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Deep in Trump country, voters want more deportations and less Epstein
Carrolltown, Pennsylvania: The crispy skin of a whole roasted pig sits on a bed of aluminium foil next to the buffet table. Men and women pile their paper plates with pulled pork, sausages, beans and sauerkraut, and park themselves at picnic benches while they wait for the speeches. A cardboard cut-out of Donald Trump watches over proceedings, a crown on his head and a copy of the Constitution clipped to his arm. This is the Cambria County Republican Pig Roast in Carrolltown, a small town in south-west Pennsylvania, two hours east of Pittsburgh and two hours west of the state capital, Harrisburg. The locals – and some out-of-towners – are gathered in a timber pavilion at the American Legion Park, next to installations of an M60A3 tank, AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter and an M5 anti-tank gun. I'm here to find out what Trump's supporters think about the US president's first six months back in office, during which he has wielded enormous executive power, shaken financial markets, bombed Iran's nuclear facilities and upended political institutions at home and abroad. Polls show some Americans have turned against Trump since his inauguration, with an average approval rating of 44 and disapproval of 52 – roughly the inverse of January. Economic management was the primary source of his decline, with voters spooked by his sweeping tariffs and focus on matters other than their hip pocket. And this week, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found Trump's approval rating on immigration – traditionally his strong suit – fell to a low of 41 per cent. It coincides with a blitz of migrant arrests, especially in California, including raids at people's workplaces. But in Carrolltown, as DJ Tommy Gunnz works the decks and party volunteers chat about coming local elections, everybody is agreed on Trump's best achievement. 'Securing the border,' says 25-year-old postal worker Lucas Taylor, who wears a red MAGA cap and a USA T-shirt. 'If I could give him a grade, it would probably be at least an A.' Cambria County used to be reliably blue, with Democrats carrying it from Jimmy Carter to Al Gore. Barack Obama won narrowly in 2008, but voters turned on him in 2012, and ever since, Trump has dominated with nearly 70 per cent of the vote. Retiree Sharon Karlheim, who is in her 60s, says Trump is doing a great job, but there is a lot more to do. She wants to see more undocumented immigrants deported, and more of Trump's political enemies arrested. 'We see a lot of investigations, we see a lot of talk,' she says. 'So far, I haven't seen arrests being made for the things that have happened in the past administration. I'm not going to name names, but I would like to see some arrests. People that were treasonous to this nation. I would really like to see people held accountable.' These notions of 'deep state' malpractice – whipped up, perpetuated and exploited by Trump – persevere among the president's ardent supporters and the thick belt of American voters who have long felt their government in Washington is a malign force that undermines their interests. This week, the MAGA universe imploded over Trump's refusal to release the so-called 'Epstein files' related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in jail in 2019 awaiting trial for sex trafficking. After years of indulging the conspiracy when convenient, Trump is calling it a 'hoax' invented by Democrats to damage him. While I was in Pennsylvania, Trump spurned some of his own supporters, accusing them of swallowing the 'bullshit' about Epstein and doing the Democrats' bidding. He said he no longer wanted their support. It's difficult to gauge how damaging this rift might be. The Epstein saga is a big deal in the online community, and for many prominent MAGA influencers. But what about the average punter? Most of the people I met had other things on their mind. If they did care about Epstein, they were happy to make excuses for Trump. Loading 'I think he's getting blackmailed, partly,' Taylor says. 'I think that's one of the major reasons why he's now trying to walk around it a little bit … That's the one thing that has been kind of disappointing so far. But, of course, it's not going to make me go Democrat either – nowhere near.' Karlheim, who believes Trump's presidency is God's plan and was foretold by a now-deceased prophet, has her own ideas about what's happening. 'There was enough time between Trump being elected and when he took office for a lot of things to disappear. So I think they got rid of a lot of stuff,' she says. 'Do I think our current government is lying or covering things up? No, I don't believe that. But I also prophetically say: these things will be uncovered. So I am just keeping the faith that everything will be exposed.' The Carrolltown crowd hears from several speakers, including the state director of Gun Owners of America, who explains the group's latest efforts to undo gun controls, and Pennsylvania state senator Wayne Langerholc, who wears a backwards cap, shorts and a T-shirt that says: 'Whiskey. Steak. Guns. Freedom.' He tells me Trump is doing a fantastic job. 'It's good to see a leader back in the White House, one that has conviction, one that has been able to close the border,' Langerholc says. He acknowledges some economic ups and downs prompted by Trump's tariffs, but says it's about riding the course. As for the Epstein matter: 'That's not something that I've had any constituents reach out to me about.' 'It doesn't smell like chocolate any more' The next day, I head east to Pittston, where Vice President JD Vance is speaking about the One Big Beautiful Bill, the government's main economic legislation, which is now law. The event is at Don's Machine Shop, a cavernous industrial shed replete with bulky Mitsubishi laser cutting machines. Vance has a personal connection to the field: his dad worked in a machine shop in Hamilton, Ohio, that eventually succumbed to competition from China. Vance occupies an unusual space in the Trump administration and MAGA universe: he is a credible political thinker who brings some intellectual ballast, but is arguably its best blue-collar whisperer, having grown up impoverished with a drug-addicted mother. In Pittston, he began with remarks about the border, which earned cheers and applause. He then turned to economics, including a statistic often cited by the administration: that blue-collar wages are growing by 1.7 per cent – the fastest rate in 50 years. This is not really true. The White House compared a particular metric for the first five months of presidencies going back to Richard Nixon, not the whole of the past 50 years. The Economic Policy Institute says low-wage workers have been experiencing historically high wage growth for years, and that between 2019 and 2024, the hourly wages of the bottom 10 per cent of workers grew by 15.3 per cent. In other words, Trump and Vance are trying to take credit for long-term trends, and the strong economy they inherited from Joe Biden. There are more cheers from the crowd when Vance mentions Trump's tariffs on 'foreign countries who try to bring their crap into the United States of America', as well as the president's pledge to 'drill, baby, drill' and suspend tax on tips and overtime for the remainder of his term. Vance also implies that with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill at the start of July, the heavy lifting on domestic policy has been done. 'What we're getting ready to do over the next year-and-a-half is to talk about these big wins,' he tells his audience. 'Because if we don't talk about it, we know too many in the fake news won't cover it.' Afterwards, as the Village People's YMCA plays in the background, retiree Pat Savage-Donio also names the immigration crackdown as Trump's best achievement. Too many criminals were pouring in and endangering American citizens under Biden. 'I don't think any other country would allow it. I don't think Australia would allow it,' she says. 'He [Trump] says what he's going to do, and he does it, and that's what we voted for.' When I ask about Epstein, Savage-Donio shakes her head. 'In the scheme of things, I don't know,' she says. 'I think it's more of a distraction than what the real, important issues are to the country as a whole. He was a bad guy, alright. I don't need to know every detail about it.' On the shuttle bus back to the car park, Republican volunteer Judy Holly-Storms, a retired state police officer, tells me about the police academy in Hershey, about two hours' drive south. The town is also the home of The Hershey Company, America's largest chocolate maker. Holly-Storms says that when she would go for a run in the morning, the air smelled like chocolate. But then the factory closed in 2012, and production moved elsewhere in the United States and to Mexico. Loading 'It doesn't smell like chocolate any more,' she tells me. 'And a lot of people unfortunately lost employment because of that.' But does she really think Trump can bring those manufacturing jobs back to the US? 'Yes.' As for Epstein, she says unless there is a chance of further prosecutions, the issue should be laid to rest. 'There are too many other major issues that need to be addressed. I really don't care about the dirt and the smut unless somebody can be charged.' Good trouble On my final day in Pennsylvania, I head to a rally in Harrisburg, on the banks of the Susquehanna River. A few hundred people have gathered at a riverside park as part of a nationwide protest against Trump in honour of the late Democratic congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis, whose mantra was that 'good trouble' was necessary for social change. The crowd skews older and white, and most people have brought signs. Orange Lies Matter, one says. Another reads: Morons Are Governing America (MAGA). Henri Koretzky, 68, carries a poster accusing Trump of robbing the poor to give to the rich. The first six months have been worse than he feared, he says. 'It's been enough to get me to protest, having never done any protest in 68 years of my life. I'm a proud American, and I think the country has gone in a direction that I'm not proud of. I want to do whatever I can to change that.' As in Carrolltown, immigration is top of mind here, but from the opposite perspective. Trump's opponents are horrified by what they see as the demonisation of migrants, the erosion of the rule of law and the construction of a detention facility in Florida that is supposedly surrounded by alligators, which many call a 'concentration camp'. The issue brought the Trump administration to the brink of a constitutional crisis as it fought the courts for the right to do what it pleased, without regard for due process. In June, the Supreme Court handed Trump a major win, finding that federal judges could not grant universal injunctions that delayed government policy while a case was heard. Koretzky's parents came to the US as German refugees, and his neighbourhood is home to many migrants from Nepal and Bhutan, so he is especially shocked by the harshness of Trump's immigration crackdown. Asked if there's any Trump policy he likes, he says: 'I don't object to him eliminating the penny. Other than that, no.' Loading For Trump's opponents, it has been a long six months, with 42 more to go. They are disillusioned with the Democrats, but hopeful the party will pick itself up soon. Many feel inspired by the selection of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City. They also feel there are capable candidates to take on Vance, or whoever takes the mantle from Trump, in 2028. Meanwhile, they find solace, community and fun in the resistance movement. Jeannie Hunter, 64, has a sign hanging around her neck featuring a photo collage of Trump with Epstein. 'I'm just trolling,' she says. 'This is the only thing they [MAGA] care about.'
The Age
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Deep in Trump country, voters want more deportations and less Epstein
Carrolltown, Pennsylvania: The crispy skin of a whole roasted pig sits on a bed of aluminium foil next to the buffet table. Men and women pile their paper plates with pulled pork, sausages, beans and sauerkraut, and park themselves at picnic benches while they wait for the speeches. A cardboard cut-out of Donald Trump watches over proceedings, a crown on his head and a copy of the Constitution clipped to his arm. This is the Cambria County Republican Pig Roast in Carrolltown, a small town in south-west Pennsylvania, two hours east of Pittsburgh and two hours west of the state capital, Harrisburg. The locals – and some out-of-towners – are gathered in a timber pavilion at the American Legion Park, next to installations of an M60A3 tank, AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter and an M5 anti-tank gun. I'm here to find out what Trump's supporters think about the US president's first six months back in office, during which he has wielded enormous executive power, shaken financial markets, bombed Iran's nuclear facilities and upended political institutions at home and abroad. Polls show some Americans have turned against Trump since his inauguration, with an average approval rating of 44 and disapproval of 52 – roughly the inverse of January. Economic management was the primary source of his decline, with voters spooked by his sweeping tariffs and focus on matters other than their hip pocket. And this week, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found Trump's approval rating on immigration – traditionally his strong suit – fell to a low of 41 per cent. It coincides with a blitz of migrant arrests, especially in California, including raids at people's workplaces. But in Carrolltown, as DJ Tommy Gunnz works the decks and party volunteers chat about coming local elections, everybody is agreed on Trump's best achievement. 'Securing the border,' says 25-year-old postal worker Lucas Taylor, who wears a red MAGA cap and a USA T-shirt. 'If I could give him a grade, it would probably be at least an A.' Cambria County used to be reliably blue, with Democrats carrying it from Jimmy Carter to Al Gore. Barack Obama won narrowly in 2008, but voters turned on him in 2012, and ever since, Trump has dominated with nearly 70 per cent of the vote. Retiree Sharon Karlheim, who is in her 60s, says Trump is doing a great job, but there is a lot more to do. She wants to see more undocumented immigrants deported, and more of Trump's political enemies arrested. 'We see a lot of investigations, we see a lot of talk,' she says. 'So far, I haven't seen arrests being made for the things that have happened in the past administration. I'm not going to name names, but I would like to see some arrests. People that were treasonous to this nation. I would really like to see people held accountable.' These notions of 'deep state' malpractice – whipped up, perpetuated and exploited by Trump – persevere among the president's ardent supporters and the thick belt of American voters who have long felt their government in Washington is a malign force that undermines their interests. This week, the MAGA universe imploded over Trump's refusal to release the so-called 'Epstein files' related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in jail in 2019 awaiting trial for sex trafficking. After years of indulging the conspiracy when convenient, Trump is calling it a 'hoax' invented by Democrats to damage him. While I was in Pennsylvania, Trump spurned some of his own supporters, accusing them of swallowing the 'bullshit' about Epstein and doing the Democrats' bidding. He said he no longer wanted their support. It's difficult to gauge how damaging this rift might be. The Epstein saga is a big deal in the online community, and for many prominent MAGA influencers. But what about the average punter? Most of the people I met had other things on their mind. If they did care about Epstein, they were happy to make excuses for Trump. Loading 'I think he's getting blackmailed, partly,' Taylor says. 'I think that's one of the major reasons why he's now trying to walk around it a little bit … That's the one thing that has been kind of disappointing so far. But, of course, it's not going to make me go Democrat either – nowhere near.' Karlheim, who believes Trump's presidency is God's plan and was foretold by a now-deceased prophet, has her own ideas about what's happening. 'There was enough time between Trump being elected and when he took office for a lot of things to disappear. So I think they got rid of a lot of stuff,' she says. 'Do I think our current government is lying or covering things up? No, I don't believe that. But I also prophetically say: these things will be uncovered. So I am just keeping the faith that everything will be exposed.' The Carrolltown crowd hears from several speakers, including the state director of Gun Owners of America, who explains the group's latest efforts to undo gun controls, and Pennsylvania state senator Wayne Langerholc, who wears a backwards cap, shorts and a T-shirt that says: 'Whiskey. Steak. Guns. Freedom.' He tells me Trump is doing a fantastic job. 'It's good to see a leader back in the White House, one that has conviction, one that has been able to close the border,' Langerholc says. He acknowledges some economic ups and downs prompted by Trump's tariffs, but says it's about riding the course. As for the Epstein matter: 'That's not something that I've had any constituents reach out to me about.' 'It doesn't smell like chocolate any more' The next day, I head east to Pittston, where Vice President JD Vance is speaking about the One Big Beautiful Bill, the government's main economic legislation, which is now law. The event is at Don's Machine Shop, a cavernous industrial shed replete with bulky Mitsubishi laser cutting machines. Vance has a personal connection to the field: his dad worked in a machine shop in Hamilton, Ohio, that eventually succumbed to competition from China. Vance occupies an unusual space in the Trump administration and MAGA universe: he is a credible political thinker who brings some intellectual ballast, but is arguably its best blue-collar whisperer, having grown up impoverished with a drug-addicted mother. In Pittston, he began with remarks about the border, which earned cheers and applause. He then turned to economics, including a statistic often cited by the administration: that blue-collar wages are growing by 1.7 per cent – the fastest rate in 50 years. This is not really true. The White House compared a particular metric for the first five months of presidencies going back to Richard Nixon, not the whole of the past 50 years. The Economic Policy Institute says low-wage workers have been experiencing historically high wage growth for years, and that between 2019 and 2024, the hourly wages of the bottom 10 per cent of workers grew by 15.3 per cent. In other words, Trump and Vance are trying to take credit for long-term trends, and the strong economy they inherited from Joe Biden. There are more cheers from the crowd when Vance mentions Trump's tariffs on 'foreign countries who try to bring their crap into the United States of America', as well as the president's pledge to 'drill, baby, drill' and suspend tax on tips and overtime for the remainder of his term. Vance also implies that with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill at the start of July, the heavy lifting on domestic policy has been done. 'What we're getting ready to do over the next year-and-a-half is to talk about these big wins,' he tells his audience. 'Because if we don't talk about it, we know too many in the fake news won't cover it.' Afterwards, as the Village People's YMCA plays in the background, retiree Pat Savage-Donio also names the immigration crackdown as Trump's best achievement. Too many criminals were pouring in and endangering American citizens under Biden. 'I don't think any other country would allow it. I don't think Australia would allow it,' she says. 'He [Trump] says what he's going to do, and he does it, and that's what we voted for.' When I ask about Epstein, Savage-Donio shakes her head. 'In the scheme of things, I don't know,' she says. 'I think it's more of a distraction than what the real, important issues are to the country as a whole. He was a bad guy, alright. I don't need to know every detail about it.' On the shuttle bus back to the car park, Republican volunteer Judy Holly-Storms, a retired state police officer, tells me about the police academy in Hershey, about two hours' drive south. The town is also the home of The Hershey Company, America's largest chocolate maker. Holly-Storms says that when she would go for a run in the morning, the air smelled like chocolate. But then the factory closed in 2012, and production moved elsewhere in the United States and to Mexico. Loading 'It doesn't smell like chocolate any more,' she tells me. 'And a lot of people unfortunately lost employment because of that.' But does she really think Trump can bring those manufacturing jobs back to the US? 'Yes.' As for Epstein, she says unless there is a chance of further prosecutions, the issue should be laid to rest. 'There are too many other major issues that need to be addressed. I really don't care about the dirt and the smut unless somebody can be charged.' Good trouble On my final day in Pennsylvania, I head to a rally in Harrisburg, on the banks of the Susquehanna River. A few hundred people have gathered at a riverside park as part of a nationwide protest against Trump in honour of the late Democratic congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis, whose mantra was that 'good trouble' was necessary for social change. The crowd skews older and white, and most people have brought signs. Orange Lies Matter, one says. Another reads: Morons Are Governing America (MAGA). Henri Koretzky, 68, carries a poster accusing Trump of robbing the poor to give to the rich. The first six months have been worse than he feared, he says. 'It's been enough to get me to protest, having never done any protest in 68 years of my life. I'm a proud American, and I think the country has gone in a direction that I'm not proud of. I want to do whatever I can to change that.' As in Carrolltown, immigration is top of mind here, but from the opposite perspective. Trump's opponents are horrified by what they see as the demonisation of migrants, the erosion of the rule of law and the construction of a detention facility in Florida that is supposedly surrounded by alligators, which many call a 'concentration camp'. The issue brought the Trump administration to the brink of a constitutional crisis as it fought the courts for the right to do what it pleased, without regard for due process. In June, the Supreme Court handed Trump a major win, finding that federal judges could not grant universal injunctions that delayed government policy while a case was heard. Koretzky's parents came to the US as German refugees, and his neighbourhood is home to many migrants from Nepal and Bhutan, so he is especially shocked by the harshness of Trump's immigration crackdown. Asked if there's any Trump policy he likes, he says: 'I don't object to him eliminating the penny. Other than that, no.' Loading For Trump's opponents, it has been a long six months, with 42 more to go. They are disillusioned with the Democrats, but hopeful the party will pick itself up soon. Many feel inspired by the selection of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City. They also feel there are capable candidates to take on Vance, or whoever takes the mantle from Trump, in 2028. Meanwhile, they find solace, community and fun in the resistance movement. Jeannie Hunter, 64, has a sign hanging around her neck featuring a photo collage of Trump with Epstein. 'I'm just trolling,' she says. 'This is the only thing they [MAGA] care about.'
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Israel strikes 6 Iranian airports, claims destruction of 15 military aircraft
The Israeli military on Monday said it has attacked six airports in Iran , destroying 15 aircraft and damaging runways, as per a BBC report. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the airports targeted were in western, eastern and central Iran. The IDF added that the drone strikes destroyed F-15 and F-5 fighter jets, a refuelling plane, and an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter. Iran has not yet confirmed the attack.
New York Post
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
What to expect at Trump's $45 million military parade celebrating the US Army's 250th in DC
Hundreds of thousands of revelers are expected to flood the streets of Washington, DC, Saturday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Army. The multi-million dollar parade — which also happens to be President Trump's 79th birthday — will feature a dramatic display of around 6,600 soldiers as well as hundreds of vehicles and aircraft, Army officials said. 'We're going to have a great time; we are going to have a great celebration,' Trump said, touting the festival as a show of US military might. 10 The June 14 festival will feature Army vehicles dating back to the Revolutionary War all the way up to the modern era. AP Planning for the celebration has been underway for the better part of two years, but the parade of military vehicles was added to the festivities this year, according to Army officials, who told CBS News the armed services branch is unlikely to acknowledge Trump's birthday during the parade. The price tag for the event has been estimated between $25 million and $45 million, officials said, though the exact cost has not yet been disclosed. Although the event will align with Trump's birthday, the timing is just a coincidence. The Second Continental Congress voted to create the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, after battles against the British in Concord and Lexington, naming George Washington commander-in-chief the next day. 10 What to expect at Trump's $45 million military parade celebrating the US Army's 250th in DC Falon Wriede / NY Post Design Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told the House Armed Services Committee that the parade represents an 'amazing opportunity' to tell the story about the Army, and could even pay recruitment dividends. 10 President Donald Trump arrives to speak at Fort Bragg, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Fort Bragg, N.C. AP 10 Around 150 ground vehicles and some 50 aerial vehicles will be part of the parade. REUTERS 'I believe very specifically that telling that story will directly lead to a recruiting boom that will fill up our pipeline for the coming years,' Driscoll said. The festival will kick off on the National Mall at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, running until 6 p.m. The military parade will start at 6:30 p.m., starting at 23rd Street NW along Constitution Avenue to 15th Street NW, concluding around 7:30 p.m. Fox News will be airing special coverage of the parade from 6-10 p.m. ET; if you don't have cable, you can watch for free with a five-day trial of DIRECTV. A fireworks display on the mall is scheduled to follow the parade around 9:45 p.m. 10 A U.S. Army Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter is parked on display on the National Mall across from the Smithsonian Natural History Museum on June 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images The parade will be the first such cavalcade since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, during which around 200,000 people gathered on the National Mall to watch some 8,000 service members march in the National Victory parade. Because the massive equipment — some, like the M1A1 Abrams tank weighing upwards of 60 tons — wasn't designed to roll down paved city streets, the Army has been making special preparations to minimize damage to DC roadways. Leading up to the parade, the Army has been placing one-inch-thick steel plates, ranging in size from 4-by-8 feet to 8-by-20 feet, at points on the route where the heavier vehicles will be making turns. 10 Army soldiers work on an assortment of M1 Alpha a3 Abrams tanks, stryker armored vehicles, and M2 Bradley fighting vehicles at West Potomac Park along the Potomac River on June 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images The Army has pledged to pay for the repairs if any streets are damaged, which could add $16 million to the price of the festival, according to NBC News. US Army Col. Jesse Curry, who heads the Office of the Chief of Engineers, told reporters Monday during a security briefing that the vehicles will also be equipped with rubber track pads to further mitigate damage, noting that they will be traveling slowly. The parade will serve as a living history lesson, spanning every era of the Army from the Revolutionary War to today — and even the future — as thousands of soldiers will be decked out in era-appropriate uniforms and gear. 10 The parade will be held in DC on June 14 — President Trump's 79th birthday — but the date is just a coincidence. Getty Images Front and center at the parade will be a tribute to the American Revolution, featuring horse-mounted Dragoon troops outfitted with the uniforms and weapons from that time. Next up will be the Civil War, featuring 12 Texas steeds leading the march and a pair of mules pulling a wagon to symbolize the Western Expansion that followed the conflict, which included scores of battles with Native Americans. World War I and World War II will be represented with a classic Renault Tank, the famous armored vehicle used by the Allies, as well as a vintage 1918 Dodge Touring Car. 10 At 8pm there will be a concert on The Ellipse. AP The World War II section of the parade will be the biggest, featuring multiple American trucks and jeeps used in the war and supplied to US allies, including the Chevrolet G7117 and Ford GPW. This section is also when the aerial events start, with the B-25 Mitchell bomber, C-47 Skytrain transport, and P-51 Mustang fighter plane set to fly over DC. Cold War-era conflicts like the Korean and Vietnam Wars will see the aircraft procession continue with the OH-6 Cayuse, AH-1 Cobra and UH-1 Iroquois helicopters. 10 Soldiers stand between columns of Stryker armored vehicles taking part in the Army's 250th birthday celebration parade during a preview at West Potomac Park in Washington, DC on June 11, 2025. AFP via Getty Images The next section will start with the iconic M2 Bradley fighting armored vehicle deployed during the Gulf War in the early 1990s. Along with the armored vehicle, the troops will also show off the powerful Paladin and M1A1 Abrams tanks, and the M119 Howitzer. Vehicles from the War on Terror will also be featured, including the modern US Stryker armored vehicle, which became a staple of America's war in the Middle East. The final section includes a roundup of the American equipment from previous wars that are still used today, along with new additions like the M777 Howitzer that was used in Afghanistan. The parade is not without controversy — the cost has come under scrutiny by members of Congress, particularly as the Trump administration has made cutting wasteful government spending a top priority. 10 A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to be used in the U.S. Army's 250th Birthday Celebration and Parade, lands on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on June 11, 2025. REUTERS
