President Donald Trump reportedly berated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following a military parade on June 14 that commemorated both the Army’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 79th birthday, according to biographer Michael Wolff.
Wolff, appearing on The Daily Beast Podcast, claimed Trump was furious with the parade’s tone and blamed soldiers for appearing too cheerful during the event held on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. The president allegedly wanted a menacing display of military force rather than the festive atmosphere that unfolded.
According to Wolff’s account, Trump accused the soldiers of compromising the military image he sought to project. The biographer indicated that Trump believed the soldiers were waving and enjoying themselves, showing what he characterized as a convivial face rather than a military demeanor.
The parade drew criticism on social media for sparse attendance and soldiers marching out of synchronization. Critics pointed to empty bleachers along the parade route and what they described as a listless performance by the marching soldiers.
Wolff claimed Trump confronted Hegseth in a heated phone call following the event. The biographer reported that Trump repeatedly questioned the parade’s staging and demanded explanations for what he viewed as inappropriate tone. According to Wolff’s account, Trump specifically asked Hegseth who was responsible for staging the event and who was to blame for the informal display.
The author suggested Trump wanted the parade to demonstrate his role as commander-in-chief of what Wolff described as a menacing enterprise. Instead, Wolff indicated the event conveyed a message of celebration rather than the intimidating display of military power Trump reportedly desired. The biographer noted that attendees were celebrating the Army’s 250-year history more than Trump’s birthday.
The parade coincided with nationwide “No Kings” protests that drew millions of participants across 2,100 rallies, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU reported that between four to six million people participated in demonstrations opposing Trump’s policies on the same day as his birthday celebration.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded strongly to Wolff’s claims, calling the author “a lying sack of s***” and dismissing his account as fabricated stories. Cheung indicated that Wolff routinely invents narratives from his imagination and accused him of suffering from what he termed Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Despite the reported private criticism, Trump publicly characterized the parade as successful. The president told reporters on June 15 that the event was a tremendous success with a fantastic audience. He noted that weather forecasts had predicted rain with 100 percent certainty, but the event proceeded without precipitation under clear skies.
Wolff estimated the parade’s actual attendance at approximately 40,000 people, while Trump claimed without evidence that over 250,000 attended the multi-million dollar event. The discrepancy in attendance figures highlighted the contrasting assessments of the parade’s success.
Charlotte Clymer, a U.S. Army veteran who once served with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” told Buzzfeed she didn’t think the rumors about the “poor quality of the marching” were due to some units lacking marching experience.
Clymer went on to say that everyone recognizes the parade was organized for Donald Trump’s benefit—even the soldiers who likely supported him understand it was intended to satisfy his ego. Clymer added that she personally would not want to participate in a parade simply to make one individual feel good about themselves.
She said she believes the incident was not a protest against Trump, nor was it connected to anti-fascism or concerns about government operations. She attributed the behavior to the soldiers feeling mistreated, tired, annoyed, and likely even angry, leading to their lack of motivation to maintain a high standard of performance during the parade.
