Fact Check: Hillary Clinton compared the turnout at President Donald Trump's $45 million birthday parade to the nationwide 'No Kings' protests that occurred on the same day, which took place in every state.

Published June 15, 2025

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VERDICT

False

# Fact Check: Hillary Clinton's Comparison of Trump's Birthday Parade to 'No Kings' Protests ## What We Know On June 14, 2025, President Donald Trump...

Fact Check: Hillary Clinton's Comparison of Trump's Birthday Parade to 'No Kings' Protests

What We Know

On June 14, 2025, President Donald Trump celebrated his 79th birthday with a military parade in Washington, D.C., coinciding with the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. This event was met with significant protests organized under the "No Kings" movement, which aimed to oppose what participants viewed as authoritarianism and the militarization of democracy. Reports indicate that over 2,000 protests were planned across all 50 states, with estimates of participation reaching millions (source-1, source-2, source-3).

Hillary Clinton reportedly mocked the turnout of Trump's parade, referring to it as a "low-energy" event and comparing it to the larger crowds at the "No Kings" protests. However, the specific claim that she directly compared the turnout numbers of the two events has not been substantiated by credible sources.

Analysis

The claim that Hillary Clinton compared the turnout at Trump's parade to the "No Kings" protests appears to stem from her social media commentary, which was widely reported. According to a report from The Daily Beast, Clinton did indeed post images contrasting the two events, but the nature of her comparison focused more on the perceived energy and enthusiasm of the protests rather than a direct numerical comparison of attendance.

While Clinton's comments suggest a critique of the parade's turnout, the assertion that she explicitly stated the turnout numbers were comparable lacks direct evidence from her statements or verified quotes. The reports primarily highlight her use of the term "low-energy" to describe the parade, without providing a detailed numerical comparison (source-4, source-5).

Furthermore, the credibility of the sources reporting on Clinton's comments is mixed. While major news outlets like CNN and NPR provided context about the protests and the parade, the specific framing of Clinton's remarks may have been sensationalized in some reports to attract attention (source-2, source-3).

Conclusion

The claim that Hillary Clinton compared the turnout at President Trump's birthday parade to the nationwide "No Kings" protests is False. While she did make remarks that could be interpreted as a critique of the parade's energy and turnout, there is no substantial evidence that she made a direct numerical comparison between the two events. The interpretation of her comments has been exaggerated in some reports, leading to a misunderstanding of her actual statements.

Sources

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