Most Americans say Trump's military parade is not a good use of money, poll finds
FILE-A U.S. Army reviewing stand continues to be built in front of the White House ahead of the Army's 250th birthday parade and celebration on June 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
A new poll reveals that most Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s decision to hold a military parade to honor the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which officials tell the Associated Press will cost tens of millions taxpayer dollars.
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The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted a poll of 1,158 adults from June 5-9, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel.
Americans say Trump military parade ‘not a good use’ of public money
Why you should care:
About 6 in 10 Americans say that Saturday's parade is "not a good use" of government money, including 78%, who neither approve or disapprove of the parade overall, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
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Meanwhile, roughly 4 in 10 Americans "somewhat" or "strongly" approve of the parade, while about 3 in 10 "somewhat" or "strongly" disapprove. While 3 in 10 respondents neither approve nor disapprove.
Political parties divided on the Trump parade
Local perspective:
About two-thirds of Republicans approve of President Donald Trump’s military parade, and a similar number of respondents view the event as an effective use of money, but about one-third say it’s not a good use of government funds.
However, Democrats say the parade is not a good use of public money, as do independents, the poll noted. About half of Democrats disapprove of the parade, roughly half of independents neither approve nor disapprove, implying that they may have heard less about it or have less strong feelings about it generally.
Americans split on government spending for military
Big picture view:
Americans are divided on whether the government is devoting too much money to the military. The poll noted that 3 in 10 respondents say the government is spending "too much" on the military, while a similar number admits the government is spending "too little." Roughly 4 in 10 say the government is spending "about the right amount." Those numbers haven’t changed from an AP-NORC poll conducted in January.
The AP poll also found that 4 in 10 Americans approve of the way President Donald Trump is managing his job as president. Approval of his management of immigration, at 46%, continues to be higher than approval of his handling of the economy or trade negotiations with other countries, which are both at 38%. (The poll was conducted from June 5-9.)
Trump’s military parade
Dig deeper:
President Donald Trump’s parade on Saturday, which also happens to be his birthday, will feature hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft and thousands of soldiers. According to the Associated Press, the event has grown in scope and size since Army planners started working on a festival two years ago to mark the military branch's anniversary.
Besides a military parade, which Trump had unsuccessfully campaigned for during his first term in office, there will also be concerts, fireworks, NFL players, fitness competitions and displays all over the National Mall for daylong festivities, the AP reported.
The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend and says putting on the celebration will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll consisting of 1,158 adults conducted from June 5-9, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.