- 6/9/2025
Officials in Washington, DC held a press briefing on Monday on President Trump's upcoming military parade.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon. I am Matt McCool. I am the special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office.
00:06We are here today with our partners to share security information with you regarding the upcoming Army 250th birthday parade.
00:14This is a team effort, and I'd like to take a moment to recognize Chief Smith in the Metropolitan Police Department,
00:20Chief Taylor in the U.S. Park Police, the Joint Task Force National Capital Region, the FBI of Washington Field Office,
00:26the Metro Chanted Police, and all of our other outstanding partners in the NCR.
00:32The planning for the upcoming Army 250th birthday parade is a testament to our strength of our partnerships in the National Capital Region.
00:39Planning an NSSC in a matter of weeks is unprecedented, and our success in creating a security plan was in large part a result of our outstanding relationships as well as our collective NSSC experience.
00:50This event marks the fifth national special security event to take place in Washington, D.C., and Washington, D.C. this calendar year, which is also unprecedented.
01:01The NSSC designation allows the federal government, along with our state and local partners, to use all available resources to implement a comprehensive security plan.
01:10The United States Secret Service is extremely proud to lead the development of a security for the celebration of one of the greatest fighting forces the world has ever known.
01:19We've coordinated closely with many of the public sector professionals in this room and countless others across the NCR.
01:26Our teams work and train frequently and communicate daily to execute high-level security.
01:32This shared experience is our foundation, and it is our strength.
01:35Looking to the upcoming festival parade, we're preparing for an enormous turnout.
01:42Hundreds of thousands of attendees.
01:44It's our duty to ensure the safety and security of every participant.
01:47We are deploying thousands of agents, officers, and specialists from across the country, backed by the robust network of federal, state, and local partners.
01:56Our mission is not just to secure an event, but to ensure public confidence and safety.
02:01The Secret Service and our partners want every attendee to be confident in their security and feel safe.
02:08That's why we are leaving no stone unturned.
02:12Everyone entering the event will go through screen at clearly designated checkpoints.
02:16These checkpoints and the entire security perimeter will be mapped out and available at www.nsse.dc.gov,
02:26along with important updates on road closures, parking restrictions, prohibited items, and other logistical changes.
02:33The Army 250th Birthday Parade and Festival are in close proximity, but are two separate events.
02:39If you are planning to attend the festival prior to the parade, please note you need to proceed through the magnetometers located on the east side of the National Mall grounds on 7th Street.
02:49The screening checkpoint for the Army 250th Birthday Parade will open at 8 a.m. at the following location,
02:567th Street NW between Madison Avenue NW and Jefferson Drive NW.
03:02This will be the only entrance checkpoint into the festival.
03:06The screening checkpoint for the Army 250th Birthday Parade will open to the public at 2 p.m. at the following locations,
03:1314th Street between Constitution and Independence Avenue and C Street NW between 18th and 19th Street.
03:22Please refer to the prohibited items list on the NSSC website to see which items will not be allowed through the checkpoints.
03:29Remember, everyone attending the parade will be screened.
03:33I want to stress that if you exit the parade viewing area and choose to return, you will be re-screened again before entering.
03:39Aviation and maritime security are also top priorities.
03:44The Federal Aviation Administration will issue temporary flight restrictions,
03:48and the U.S. Post Guard will release any maritime advisories.
03:51All of this information will be easily accessible through the NSSC website.
03:55On the ground, we're taking proactive steps to reinforce the area.
03:59You will see 18.5 miles of anti-scale fencing, 17 miles of bike rack, concrete barriers, 175 magnetometers,
04:09and officers from federal, state, and local agencies standing close.
04:13You may also notice multiple drones operating in the area.
04:16These are great tools for law enforcement situation awareness and part of our layered security strategy.
04:21Rest assured, all drones will be owned and operated by the Secret Service or our partners, so please do not be alarmed.
04:27As the public, you play an important role in ensuring the security of the event
04:32by reporting any suspicious activity to the nearest law enforcement official.
04:36Remember, if you see something, please say something.
04:39We've established a dedicated phone line for residents and businesses in the area who may have questions or issues.
04:45In partnership with the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency,
04:50we will be sharing that number through community groups.
04:52We will be active on the day of the parade.
04:54One additional note, we ask the public, due to the large crowds, noise, and the weather forecasts,
05:00that for their safety, you leave your pets and emotional support animals at home.
05:04As always, service animals are welcome.
05:07Chief Smith will speak shortly about what all this means for residents, workers, and visitors in the district.
05:12MPD has been and continues to be one of our most critical allies, not only during NSSEs,
05:17but in the daily work of keeping our capital secure.
05:20Another key partner during this event, and in every day, is the United States Park Police.
05:24Chief Jessica Taylor and her team have been working with us side-by-side throughout the planning process,
05:29and they are instrumental in ensuring this event is safe and enjoyable for all attendees.
05:33Let me close by thanking the men and women of the Secret Service's Washington Field Office
05:37and the Dignitary Protective Division, who have been working around the clock to create an excellent security plan.
05:42And thank you to all the partners here today.
05:45Your dedication, your patience, and your professionalism make this effort possible.
05:49I cannot thank you enough for your partnership.
05:51And now it is my honor to introduce Chief Jessica Taylor of the United States Park Police.
06:02Good afternoon.
06:03My name is Jessica Taylor.
06:04I'm the Chief of the United States Park Police.
06:06The Park Police has significant experience with large-scale special events,
06:11especially in and around the National Mall and on National Park Service lands.
06:16We're, of course, working under the NSSE umbrella with our partners at the Secret Service
06:21and have members on all of the subcommittees.
06:24Ensuring a safe event and keeping the public safe is our number one priority.
06:30We'll be on full activation.
06:31All of my officers are working on Saturday and leading up to Saturday with road closures and site security.
06:37We are particularly grateful for the support of multiple local, state, and federal partners
06:42who are sending in their officers and their agents to help us with manpower on Saturday.
06:48That being said, plan ahead before you come to the event.
06:52Right?
06:53We're expecting families.
06:54We're expecting some children.
06:55Parents, take a picture of your children that morning so you know what they look like in the event.
06:59You get separated.
07:00You can easily show the officer the picture.
07:02We'll have family reunification tents.
07:05And we'll have officers everywhere you look on hand to assist.
07:11I am extremely confident in the security site program we've put together for this event.
07:16And we're looking forward to a safe and enjoyable event on Saturday.
07:21I'm sorry.
07:21Now I'd like to introduce FBI Special Agent Charge Bates.
07:25Thank you, Chief Taylor.
07:30Good afternoon.
07:31I'm Phillip Bates, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the FBI.
07:36I appreciate the opportunity to be here today to discuss the FBI's partnership with federal and local agencies
07:42to prepare for the Army 250th birthday celebration.
07:47As was noted, this is our fifth NSSE of the year.
07:50And each one brings different challenges that we must address.
07:54But the partnerships remain the same.
07:57And our understanding of each agency's unique capabilities and strengths makes us a strong team.
08:03For this event, the FBI has the federal law enforcement responsibility for crisis management, counterterrorism, and intelligence analysis.
08:13The FBI will activate a command post at our Washington Field Office.
08:18The command post serves as a central hub for employees to gather intelligence, assess potential threats, coordinate investigations, and surge resources as needed.
08:30We're not currently aware of any credible threats to the Army 250th birthday celebration.
08:37However, we continue to work closely with our partners and share information to identify and disrupt any threats that may emerge.
08:46As always, we remind the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.
08:54We look forward to working with our partners to ensure that the event is held safely and securely.
09:01I'll now turn the podium over to Chief Smith from Unpeed.
09:06Thank you, Special Agent Bates.
09:09And good afternoon, everyone.
09:10I'm Chief Pamela Smith, Chief of Police of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.
09:15At Metropolitan Police Department, we've been working very closely with our local, state, and federal partners
09:19in preparation for the 250th Army Birthday Parade.
09:23I want to reiterate Special Agent Bates, and with regards to what he said, that we have been constantly working together
09:31to monitor intelligence, and there are, at this time, no known credible threats to this event.
09:37That being said, we always remain vigilant and ready, and as always, we continuously evaluate intelligence
09:43and adjust our posture as needed to safeguard the city.
09:46As you've heard, this is a significant event with a large footprint,
09:51and we want to make sure everyone, residents, visitors, and participants, can enjoy this event safely.
09:57We expect major impacts to traffic, especially around the National Mall, West Potomac Park, and the Ellipse on Saturday.
10:04There will be numerous road closures and parking restrictions in place, and we strongly encourage the public to plan ahead,
10:12allow extra travel time, and consider using Metro Transit or other public transportation options.
10:19Maps, closure lists, and other important information are available at NSSE.DC.gov,
10:27and we'll continue to push updates through NPD's social media channels.
10:32NPD is no stranger to large events like this one.
10:36We will be enhancing our posture across the city.
10:39NPD will be in full activation beginning Saturday morning.
10:43This ensures that we have the staffing and resources available to support this event
10:48while still answering calls for service and maintaining coverage across all seven of our police districts here in D.C.
10:54I cannot emphasize enough, your safety remains our number one priority.
11:00We are deploying specialized teams to support our federal partners and staying ready to respond whenever needed.
11:07As always, we also rely on the public to be the extra set of eyes and ears.
11:12If you see something suspicious, please say something.
11:15Call 911 in an emergency or reach out to our tip line at 202-727-9099 or text 50411.
11:25We thank everyone in advance for your patience and cooperation, and we look forward to a safe and successful event.
11:32Thank you, and I will now turn it over to Maurice McKinney, Deputy Chief of Metro Transit Police Department.
11:37Good afternoon, everyone.
11:42Maurice McKinney, Deputy Chief of Metro Transit Police, Special Operations Bureau.
11:47Metro will support the Army 250 by operational support that we will increase staffing at all of the stations surrounding the parade and festival routes.
11:58Metro Transit Police will increase officer presence in and around all of the stations
12:04to include Smithsonian, Archives, Federal Triangle.
12:09As it relates to rail operations, we will, Metro will operate on a normal service.
12:16There will be, my apologies, Metro will operate on a normal service, and
12:22Those heading to the National Mall for this festival are advised to use other stations to include Federal Triangle, Federal Center, LaFont Plaza.
12:38Due to the security perimeter at the National Mall, the Smithsonian Station on the Jefferson side will be closed.
12:46And customers can access the Smithsonian Metro Station through the Independence Avenue side.
12:53Those viewing the parade can access the station through Farragut West, Farragut North, Federal Triangle, and Archives Metro Station.
13:04The following Metro bus routes will have detours or delays, the 7A, the 10A, the 16A, the 16C, the 16E, the 22A, the 32, the 36, the 70, the 79, and the P6.
13:25Customers are encouraged to download the Metro Pulse app for real-time bus and rail operations.
13:37And with that, we'll take your questions.
13:40Will there be any changes to protocol ramping up with additional security?
13:45Thank you very much.
13:46Okay.
13:47I'm Jackie with NewsNation.
13:49Will there be any additional protocols ramping up with security, anything in response to what is currently taking place in L.A. regarding ice raids and protests there?
13:59So given that this is an NSSE, we plan for those things ahead of time.
14:04So since April 22nd, we've been planning for this, which is shorter than normal.
14:08But we're paying attention, obviously, to what is happening there, and we'll be ready for that if it were to occur here for the Army 250.
14:16Thanks.
14:17Hi, Hassan Conner with Politico.
14:27Just to kind of follow up on that, what have you guys been expecting or discussing in terms of whether we see a similar deployment of federal troops,
14:34maybe perhaps the D.C. National Guard as we've seen in California in response to protests?
14:38So I'll just say we're not expecting it.
14:40We have no intelligence of that, you know, happening here.
14:44But if it does, we have the resources to handle it.
14:48Hi there.
14:49Thank you so much for doing this.
14:50Nicole Scango with CBS News.
14:51Two questions.
14:52One, can you speak a little bit about First Amendment activity and plans for protesters?
15:05And then just as a second question, curious, you mentioned the 18.5 miles of fencing.
15:11We've seen much of that go around the White House this morning.
15:15Do you anticipate that fencing will stay much beyond the event, or at what point should we see that come down?
15:21We're planning on everything to be cleaned up by the 19th.
15:25And then as far as the First Amendment activity, you know, from a Secret Service perspective, it's simply people, you know, using a First Amendment right to protest.
15:35We're not going to do anything with that.
15:37But if that turns violent or if any laws are broken, that's when MPD, Park Police, Secret Service will get involved, and that will be handled swiftly.
15:44Is there a designated area for that?
15:47So the National Park Service handles the permitting process, right?
15:54So we have several permits currently pending.
15:57From what we've reviewed thus far in our communications list, we don't have any significant concerns.
16:02We don't have a designated area.
16:04According to the permit, they'll request where they want to be, and the National Park Service will make a decision based on the NSSE and the Security Partner.
16:11The First Amendment activity, significant experience with all the events in the mall, right?
16:15So I think the Park Police and MPD is well prepared.
16:24Hey, Matt. It's Holmes Library. I'm from CNN.
16:27I'm curious, what is the number that you're really expecting right now for counter-protesters?
16:32I know you mentioned in terms of attendees, we're talking hundreds of thousands.
16:36Are we seeing anywhere near that number for counter-protesters?
16:40No, not even close.
16:41We're tracking about nine person activity demonstrations, but nowhere.
16:46I'm not going to get into the exact number, but it's not that high.
16:50Is there a plan in place to call National Guard if needed?
16:54We actually have National Guard.
16:56You already have it.
16:57Yeah.
16:58They're working the event, so they will be here, but we also have a robust plan for civil disturbance.
17:03What's the number of National Guard here?
17:05Again, I'm not going to talk about numbers just for security reasons, but between CDU units that we have from multiple agencies and the National Guard, I'm very confident in the plan we have.
17:15Thanks.
17:16Yeah.
17:17A quick follow-up on the National Guard.
17:19Is that D.C. National Guard that has been deployed?
17:20Will they be armed?
17:21Whichever National Guard is, will they be armed?
17:22They will not be armed, and I believe it's not just D.C. National Guard, but D.C. National Guard is involved.
17:24Can I ask about the logistics of spectators who want to get in?
17:28So there's a festival area, and then there's the viewing area.
17:29Can you go from the festival area to the parade viewing area without going out and entering new security?
17:33Do you want to answer that?
17:34Sure.
17:35You have to go through security for both.
17:36But if once I'm in the festival area, I can just go?
17:37No.
17:38No.
17:39No.
17:40No.
17:41No.
17:42No.
17:43No.
17:44No.
17:45No.
17:46No.
17:47No.
17:48No.
17:49No.
17:50No.
17:51No.
17:52No.
17:53No.
17:54No.
17:55No.
17:56No.
17:57No.
17:58No.
17:59No.
18:00You can go out and you can go through.
18:01Okay.
18:02And we have a ton of magnetometers, so I don't, you know, depends on how people show up, right?
18:04If a million people show up, there's going to be a line.
18:05And then how many people are you prepared that can actually sit on those, is it like three
18:09or four blocks where there's actually bleachers for the parade route?
18:12There will be no bleachers.
18:13So it's just standing along Constitution Avenue?
18:16Correct.
18:17And so how many people do you think you can accommodate there?
18:19Hundreds of thousands.
18:20You can?
18:21Yeah.
18:22Okay.
18:23And none of that is ticketed?
18:24It's open to...
18:25Not ticketed, opened.
18:26Do you want me to ask a house speaking question for press?
18:28Or do you want to have somebody to hang back and answer those after?
18:31We'll do that after.
18:32Okay.
18:33Thanks.
18:34Last two, Tom and Ashley.
18:39Tom and Ashley.
18:42I wanted to ask, first off, related to what you were just talking about, I just said,
18:47will there be people on both sides of the Constitution to watch it or just the north side?
18:52The majority of people will be on the south side of the Constitution.
18:56And there will be some available area on the north side.
18:59And this may be more for the NPD chief here, Smith, but we unfortunately had this double-stabbing
19:06in the shooting this weekend while World Pride was going on, not right where the parade was.
19:11What do you do to prevent something from happening, not necessarily right at the parade, but in the area
19:16not too far from it like that this weekend?
19:23Well, we're prepared.
19:24I think as law enforcement personnel, we've already gone through the Executive Steering Committee with regards to the resources that we'll have allocated to the 250th.
19:37And that's the same thing we would do in any other special event that we have across the city, making sure our resources are available.
19:43If something happens, being able to redeploy those resources to those areas.
19:47If you'd like to follow up real quick.
19:50How much are you helping Park Lease? Is this like an all-hands-on-deck day for you as well?
19:55I stated in my remarks that this is full activation.
19:58And that means throughout the city, though, right? Not just here?
20:02Throughout the city. Of course, I still have to maintain the rest of the seven districts across the city.
20:07And are you confident you have enough to do all of that?
20:10I'm confident.
20:12Ashley Parker from the Atlantic.
20:17This might be more for someone from the mayor's office, but the White House had said that they were working with the mayor and her team
20:25to make sure there were precautions in place so that, for instance, the streets would not be damaged from the tanks.
20:31They mentioned potentially putting down steel plating, but they weren't sure that that had been confirmed.
20:36Can someone talk about what steps the city is taking, again, to help protect the streets from the wear and tear of the tanks and other equipment?
20:45Yes, thank you for the question.
20:46I'm Colonel Jess Curry, an engineer on the Army staff as well as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
20:53So if you go out to the parade route even today, you can see some of that work being put in place.
20:58And what that is is it started weeks ago with assessments working with National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration,
21:05and really bringing to bear the engineers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, our expert engineers that, around the world,
21:13assess the impacts of these types of vehicles on all types of pavement.
21:17So they've done that assessment.
21:19Based on that, we've put together the plane that you'll see being put at key locations around the route.
21:25Primarily, it is metal plating that's being put down to address those areas where tanks have to steer sharply,
21:33and we get some of the grinding reaction from between those tracks.
21:38Throughout the straightaways, we really have very little or low concerns that there would be any other damage.
21:43The plates and where we're putting them is designed to minimize or eliminate all possible damage.
21:49So that's ongoing now.
21:51We'll be in place before the parade begins, and we'll come up immediately after.
21:55Is there anything beyond the plates, or is that sort of the – is there anything beyond the plates, or is that kind of the bulk of it?
22:00Well, thanks for asking, because there is.
22:02That is certainly the most visible thing that everyone's going to be able to see out along the parade route.
22:08But in addition to that, we're putting down a lot of padding in the staging areas.
22:12Things, again, to just mitigate any potential – we're using an abundance of caution.
22:17We want to protect these streets.
22:18This is our capital city as well.
22:20So we're committed to ensuring that we minimize any possible damage.
22:25But in addition to the protective measures being put on the road, what you can also see during the parade is the tanks all have brand-new rubber track pads placed on them,
22:34which increase the padding that they have underneath each track to minimize that potential damage.
22:41And it's a parade, so they're going to be moving slowly.
22:44They're going to be very careful.
22:45The operators that are coming with the units to this parade, they're very, very well-trained at what they do,
22:51and give us complete confidence that we're going to be able to execute this parade with little to no damage to the D.C. streets.
22:57Thank you, everyone.
22:59Hey, good afternoon.
23:02Sharon Kirschbaum from the District Department of Transportation.
23:05So while the parade route itself is on National Park Service roads for the vehicles to get to the parade route, they will be riding on district government – D.C. land and roads.
23:17And one of the other things that we do, as we would for all oversized and overweight vehicles, we require that they receive a permit.
23:24And when they apply for the permit, we take a look at the weight, and then we work together on the route to make sure that if they're covering any bridges or any other vulnerable roadways,
23:33that they can withstand the weight.
23:35And then we give recommendations in terms of the spacing and in terms of the speed to make sure that there's no other damage done.