Donald Trump is throwing a “military parade” on his birthday, costing taxpayers up to $45 million. President Donald Trump’s administration is planning a massive military parade on June 14, 2025, which coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday. The U.S. Army estimated that the parade would cost taxpayers between $25 million and $45 million. This included a cost of up to $16 million to repair Washington, D.C. streets as heavy military equipment rolls through the city. Despite administration officials downplaying the idea that the parade was meant to be a birthday party for Trump, the president reportedly “insisted to administration officials that it take place on his birthday.”
- $45 million was enough to fully replenish Trump’s proposed cuts to National Park Service Operation and Maintenance of Equipment. Trump’s proposed FY 2026 budget included a $36 million (nearly 60%) cut to the National Park Service’s “Operation and maintenance of equipment.” In FY 2025, the National Park Service budget listed $61 million for operation and maintenance of equipment. Trump’s proposed budget called for $25 million for FY 2026.
- Trump’s birthday/military parade could have fully funded over 500 Supervisory Park Rangers for a year. According to job listings posted to USA Jobs, National Park Service Supervisory Ranger roles were listed at a starting salary of $88,621 per year. $45 million would fully fund 507 of those salaries. The Park Service has seen a nearly 16.5 percent drop in staff since Fiscal Year 2023, going from 26,500 total park system employees to just 18,066 in May 2025.
- As Trump spent $45 million on his parade, National Park Service employees were limited to a $1 spending limit on NPS credit cards. In March 2025, DOI officials confirmed there was a spending threshold of $1 for NPS employees, making payments for utilities, equipment, and maintenance nearly impossible. According to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, limiting NPS credit cards to a one-dollar limit resulted in “chaos and could endanger public safety on public lands.”
- National Parks bring in significantly more money than they take from the federal government. According to U.S. government data, in 2024, National Parks received a total of $3.475 billion from taxpayers. However, that represents a fraction of the $55.6 billion that national parks put into the economy. At Yellowstone National Park, its operating budget of approximately $70 million was dwarfed by the $600 million that park visitors spent during their trips to the park in 2023.
The U.S. Army estimated Trump’s June 2025 military parade would cost up to $45 million. “There will be a parade this year, and on the president’s 79th birthday, no less. The current plan involves a tremendous scene in the center of Washington: 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks (at 70 tons each for the heaviest in service); 28 Stryker armored personnel carriers; more than 100 other vehicles; a World War II-era B-25 bomber; 6,700 soldiers; 50 helicopters; 34 horses; two mules; and a dog. But critics say it is another example of how Mr. Trump has politicized the military. The Army estimates the cost at $25 million to $45 million. But it could be higher because the Army has promised to fix any city streets that the parade damages, plus the cost of cleanup and police are not yet part of the estimate. While $45 million is a tiny fraction of Mr. Trump’s proposed Pentagon budget of $1.01 trillion for fiscal year 2026, it comes as the administration seeks to slash funding for education, health and public assistance.” [New York Times, 5/27/25]
- U.S. military officials estimated it would cost up to $16 million to repair Washington, D.C. streets as a result of Trump’s June 2025 military parade. “The cost to repair Washington, D.C., streets after the upcoming military parade celebrating the Army’s 250th anniversary could cost as much as $16 million, according to U.S. military officials. That’s part of an estimated $45 million total cost for the June 14 military parade, which coincides with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. The cost estimates have fluctuated as planning continues. In an interview with NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press’ earlier this month, the president defended the cost of the parade, calling it ‘peanuts compared to the value of doing it.’” [NBC News, 5/31/25]
- The “military parade” was scheduled for Trump’s birthday and he “insisted to administration officials that it take place on his birthday.” “The government has attempted to downplay the idea that the parade is meant to be Trump’s birthday party. The White House official says, ‘The Army parade is part of a yearlong celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The Army parade is being held on the Army’s anniversary — June 14. It’s not President Trump’s fault that his DNA is USA.’ However, the president insisted to administration officials that it take place on his birthday, according to two sources with knowledge of his demands. He didn’t want a grand July 4 military parade, like the disappointing one he demanded in 2019. He wanted a big bash on his birthday. Several Trump advisers and aides have privately referred to the event as ‘Donald Trump’s birthday parade,’ according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.” [Rolling Stone, 6/6/25]
The Cost Of Trump’s Military Parade Could Fully Replenish Cuts Made To NPS Operation and Maintenance Program
Trump’s proposed FY 2026 budget included a $36 million (nearly 60%) cut to the National Park Service’s “Operation and maintenance of equipment.” According to the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget request released by the White House, the National Park Service proposed $25 million for “Operation and maintenance of equipment” in the FY 2026 budget (National Park Service Line 25.7). This represented a cut of 59.1% from FY 2025. In the FY 2025 budget, Operation and maintenance of equipment totaled $61 million for the national park service. This represented a total cut of $36 million. [White House, FY 2026 Budget Proposal, 5/31/25]
Trump’s Military Parade Could Have Funded Over 500 Supervisory Park Rangers For One Year
Trump’s parade 507 National Park Service Supervisory Park Rangers for a year, according to Supervisory Park Ranger salaries listed on USA Jobs. According to postings on USA Jobs, the National Park Service had active postings, as of June 5, 2025, for open Supervisory Park Ranger positions at Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. Each Supervisory Park Ranger (Protection) position listed a starting salary totaling $88,621. $45 million could fund 507 full positions at $88,621 per year. [USA Jobs, accessed 6/5/25; New York Times, 5/27/25]
The Park Service has seen a nearly 16.5 percent drop in staff since Fiscal Year 2023, going from 26,500 total park system employees to just 18,066. “Burgum testified before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on interior, environment and related agencies last month that ‘about 26,500 people work in the park system.’ But as of May 13, the Park Service had 18,066 employees, according to the internal Interior data. That marks a nearly 16.5 percent drop in Park Service staff since fiscal 2023, the latest year for which data is available. The decrease includes staff who took buyout offers, deferred resignations and early retirements. It also accounts for vacancies across the agency, including those left by fired probationary workers who opted not to return after a federal judge reinstated them.” [Washington Post, 6/2/25]
While Trump Blows $45 Million On A Parade, A Credit Card Limit Of $1 Was Imposed On NPS Employees
HEADLINE: “‘Take your own toilet paper:’ Trump admin issues $1 credit card limit for national parks employees.” [Fox 13 Seattle, 3/13/25]
DOI officials confirmed there was a spending threshold of $1 for NPS employees, making payments for utilities, equipment, and maintenance nearly impossible. “An Interior official with knowledge of the situation confirmed there is a $1 spending threshold on employees at the moment. As a result of the credit card freeze, there has been a struggle to figure out how to comply with the order while maintaining operations, said the official, who was granted anonymity because they fear reprisals. Among the complications are recurring expenses for services that will now be declined in the wake of the order. Some offices use the government cards for those kinds of monthly expenses, such as paying for utilities, equipment or maintenance, the official said. ‘All that has been cut off because charge limits have been changed to a dollar, and we haven’t figured out a solution on changing that process,’ they said.” [E&E News, 3/4/25]
Limiting NPS credit cards to a one-dollar limit resulted in “chaos and could endanger public safety on public lands.” “A sudden de facto spending freeze across the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service and other federally managed lands, is causing chaos and could endanger public safety on public lands. According to documentation shared by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a nonprofit watchdog organization, the Trump administration has suspended normal spending authority, travel approvals and credit card purchases nationwide as part of an executive order for ‘cost efficiency.’ According to the executive order, starting Feb. 26, employees who retained access to their government credit cards had a spending limit of $1 for at least the next 30 days. ‘This is an effort to create chaos in our parks and make the work of the park employees unbearable and inefficient,’ Don Neubacher, a former Yosemite superintendent and member of the executive council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, wrote to SFGATE in an email. Parks employees are usually trusted to buy supplies for projects between $2 and $10,000 dollars with their government credit cards. This move takes decision-making authority away from individual parks and field offices and elevates it to farther-flung regional offices. Purchase authority within the Park Service is now only given to one person for each of the park service regions, according to an email to staff, which can cover entire states or even several states.” [SF Gate, 3/5/25]
While Trump Breaks The Bank For His Parade, National Parks Struggled To Maintain Basic Services
While Trump’s parade totaled up to $45 million, Americans struggled to find restrooms at National Parks and shuttered visitor centers. “Struggling to find a restroom at some National Park Service sites this spring? You’re in good company. Need relief in Utah’s Arches National Park? Some toilets are closed. Visiting King’s Canyon in California? Better hope it’s not a Tuesday. Need to make a pit stop at Maryland’s Greenbelt Park? That’s a no-go. Citing staffing issues as a result of President Donald Trump’s budget cuts, buyouts and layoffs across the National Park Service, multiple national parks have closed their toilets and visitor centers. While courts have rolled back some of the February cuts, roughly 2,400 to 2,500 staff positions have been lost, according to a preliminary estimate by the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonprofit advocacy group. Trump has announced that parks will hire more seasonal workers than normal this summer, but park users across the country are already reporting intermittent staffing problems, maintenance issues and closed restrooms.” [USA Today, 4/16/25]
National Parks Bring In Way more Money Than They Take From The Federal Government
HEADLINE: “The U.S. National Parks Bring In Much More Money Than They Take from Federal Funding.” [Frommer’s, 3/7/25]
DOI records indicated that in 2024, National Parks received $3.475 billion and put $55.6 billion back into the economy. “Department of Interior records show that in 2024, the parks received $3.475 billion from U.S. taxpayers. That’s not chump change. But it’s a tiny sum in comparison to the revenue that visiting the same parks brought in 2024. For that $3.475 billion outlay, our national parks in turn put a whopping $55.6 billion into our economy, again according to official government documents. We also know that the parks supported 415,000 jobs, which feeds local economies. Accountants who parsed these figures in 2023 found that $19.4 billion of that gross came in the form of in taxable wages and earnings. So if you consider that the median tax rate is 14.5% (according to TaxFoundation.org), then roughly two-thirds of that original tax funding for parks, or $2.71 billion, is returned to the government in income taxes on wages alone.” [Frommer’s, 3/7/25]
Yellowstone National Park reported that its operating budget was approximately $70 million, while visitors to the park spent an estimated $600 million in 2023. “The Office of the Superintendent has the ultimate responsibility for managing the resources and infrastructure within Yellowstone, a staff of nearly 1,300 NPS employees and volunteers, and an operating budget of approximately $70 million. The office promotes clear, consistent, accurate, timely, and engaging communication about the park and its Strategic Priorities through collaboration and alignment of staff and its many partners, including the gateway communities where visitors from the park spend an estimated $600 million in 2023.” [National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, accessed 6/6/25]