Many people have taken to the internet to criticize what they see as a “sad and pathetic” moment during former President Donald Trump’s military parade speech over the weekend.
Trump marked his 79th birthday on Saturday by attending a grand military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
He was accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, members of his family, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The president made his entrance to the tunes of “Hail to the Chief” and “Happy Birthday.”
The event featured a striking display of military might, including tanks and aircraft from different eras, parachute jumps, and over 6,000 uniformed soldiers dressed in historical military costumes, representing key moments in U.S. Army history from the Revolutionary War to the present day.
After the parade, Trump delivered an eight-minute speech in which he declared: “Every other country celebrates their victories. It’s about time America did too.”
He added, “We’re the hottest country in the world right now. If you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you.”
While the parade was broadcast by several networks both nationally and internationally, it was Fox News’ coverage that stirred significant attention online.
Some Reddit users accused the network of artificially enhancing the sound of applause and cheering as Trump took the stage.
One user called it “sad and pathetic,” while another remarked, “That’s so pathetic. I’m embarrassed for… the entire US at this point.”
A third joked about the suspicious audio levels, saying, “Lmao! Louder than the band, and you can hear it slowly turn down like a volume slider.”
A sound engineer chimed in, suggesting the audio resembled a small arena crowd rather than a large-scale parade.
However, not everyone agreed with the accusations. Another user pointed out that other broadcasts also captured crowd noise and suggested the discrepancy was likely due to differences in audio setups rather than any deliberate manipulation.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung claimed that over 250,000 supporters turned out for the parade “despite the threat of rain.”
However, this estimate has been widely questioned, with media outlets like the Associated Press, The New York Times, and even Fox News reporting significantly smaller crowds.
The event also faced resistance from protesters, including a major demonstration in Philadelphia organized by the “No Kings” movement.
The protest aimed to highlight the contrast between what they described as their grassroots activism and what they criticized as an extravagant and un-American birthday celebration.
