It’s safe to say there aren’t many people in America right now who are less liked than Donald Trump. And yet, despite that, the man decided to throw himself a massive parade in Washington to celebrate his birthday. Talk about narcissism. Unfortunately for the president, while the parade was certainly big, flashy, and a questionable use of taxpayer money, it didn’t change the fact that he’s still deeply unpopular.
Yes, there were attendees, but it was far from the hyped-up, adoring crowd Trump might have imagined. One video in particular captured him looking absolutely miserable. In it, he squints up at the sky, then looks down with a visibly pained expression as someone speaks at the podium. He even appeared to nod off at one point, possibly from exhaustion. The rest of the group, seated with him, didn’t seem any more enthusiastic. The only exception was a young girl amusing herself by biting a tiny American flag.
For more proof, journalist Dave Levinthal actually attended the event and shared what he saw. He noted that the viewing areas were surprisingly sparse for such a large-scale event. While a crowd was present, it definitely wasn’t large enough to justify the grand spectacle. He pointed out that many prime spots along the parade route were left wide open.
Levinthal spoke to a mix of tourists, international visitors, and apolitical onlookers in Washington and described the atmosphere as pretty subdued. He said the crowd picked up slightly when the tanks rolled in, but even then, it was mostly a thin line of people just one deep along Constitution Avenue. He also encountered some participants from the nearby No Kings rally, people who were in Washington not to celebrate, but to protest.
The Trump birthday parade was certainly not the grand event the birthday boy might have hoped for. Instead of admiration and celebration, the day quickly became internet fodder, with many users mocking how visibly miserable Trump looked in Washington.
One user quipped, “He should have gone to a #NoKings protest full of happy people having fun. 🎊👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎉✌🏻👯♀️🪧🔥” Others pointed out that the No Kings rally drew a much livelier and more energetic crowd than the stiff, subdued audience at Trump’s parade.
Another reply summed up the contrast perfectly: “Compare this to the joyful footage of today’s protests. Trump has chosen to live in a sad, sad world where everybody wears a suit, the food is unseasoned, and it rains every day. No art, no culture, no music. No diversity. And nobody knows how to dance.”
