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Fact check: Did Joe Biden approve the permit the Army needed to hold the birthday parade this last weekend?

Checked on June 17, 2025

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, there is conflicting information about whether Joe Biden approved the permit for the Army's 250th birthday parade. The evidence shows that the U.S. Army filed a permit in 2024 during Biden's presidency, but the approval process and Biden's direct involvement remain unclear from most sources [1].

One source explicitly claims that the Biden Administration did grant the permit [2], while multiple other sources indicate that the parade plans changed dramatically after Trump's election, transforming from a modest celebration into a grand military display [1]. The parade took place on June 14, 2025, which coincided with both the Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday [3].

Key timeline facts:

  • The Army filed the initial permit in 2024 under Biden's administration
  • Plans were significantly expanded after Trump's election victory
  • The final parade became what sources describe as "the military parade [Trump] always wanted" [1]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several crucial pieces of context:

  • The permit process began under Biden but was transformed under Trump's influence - The parade evolved from a modest Army anniversary celebration into a large-scale military spectacle after Trump's election [1]
  • Political timing significance - The parade date of June 14th served dual purposes: celebrating the Army's milestone and Trump's birthday, creating a confluence of military and political interests [3]
  • Bureaucratic vs. political approval distinction - The question conflates routine permit processing with political endorsement, when these may be separate administrative functions

Who benefits from different narratives:

  • Trump and military leadership benefit from portraying this as Trump's achievement in securing a grand military display [1]
  • Biden's political opponents would benefit from suggesting he enabled Trump's military spectacle
  • Biden's supporters might benefit from emphasizing routine administrative processes over political endorsement

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains several potentially misleading elements:

  • Oversimplification of the approval process - It assumes a single "approval" decision by Biden, when the reality involves complex bureaucratic processes spanning two administrations [1]
  • Missing temporal context - The question doesn't acknowledge that while the permit may have been processed under Biden, the parade's character was fundamentally shaped by Trump's post-election influence [1]
  • False binary framing - By asking simply whether Biden "approved" the permit, it ignores the nuanced reality that administrative permit processing and political endorsement of the event's final form are different matters

The question appears designed to either credit or blame Biden for an event that became Trump's military showcase, potentially serving partisan narratives on either side depending on the answer provided.

Want to dive deeper?
What is the process for obtaining a permit for a military event in Washington D.C.?
Has Joe Biden attended any Army birthday parades during his presidency?
What is the significance of the Army birthday parade and how is it typically celebrated?
How does the permit approval process for military events differ from other public events?
Who is responsible for organizing the Army birthday parade and what is the typical attendance?