Trump Reportedly Berated Pete Hegseth Over Botched Military Parade Tone

Former President Donald Trump reportedly expressed anger towards Minister of Defense Pete Hegseth following a military parade on Saturday,June 14,2025,deeming the event insufficiently “menacing” and the soldiers “too joyful,” according to biographer Michael Wolff [[1]].

Wolff’s Account of Trump’s Displeasure

Wolff, appearing on *The Daily Beast’s* podcast, stated that Trump envisioned a “threatening” presentation of military might to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the army and his own 79th birthday. Instead, the parade was perceived as “festive,” leading to Trump’s dissatisfaction [[3]].

Did You Know? The U.S. Army was officially established on June 14, 1775, by the Continental Congress  [1].

“He is angry with the soldiers,” Wolff stated. “They accuse them of exaggerating,and it seems that they have fun,that they have removed,that they had fun and showed a kind rather than a military person.”

Social media Reactions and Hegseth’s Alleged Scolding

Social media users observed that the soldiers’ marching lacked synchronization along Constitution Avenue in downtown Washington. Wolff further alleges that Trump specifically criticized hegseth for what he considered a subpar performance [[2]].

“He somehow criticized Haget for this,” Wolf said of the president. “Obviously there was a phone call and he told Hegt that the tone was wrong. Why was the tone wrong? Who staged this? The problem was in the tone. Trump, he was constantly repeating himself. This obviously did not send the message he wanted, namely that he was a commander -in -chief.”

White House rebuttal and Trump’s Perspective

The White House vehemently refuted Wolff’s account, labeling him a “lying salesman with a line” and a “proven cheater.” Stephen Chung,the White House Communication Director,accused Wolff of routinely fabricating stories stemming from a “sick and distorted imagination.”

Conversely, Trump maintained that the parade was a resounding success. “Last night, there was a huge success with a fantastic audience,” Trump told the press on Sunday.”it had to rain. They predicted a 100% chance of rain and it didn’t rain at all. It was lovely.”

Pro Tip: Analyzing crowd sizes can be challenging. Experts frequently enough use the Jacobs’ Method, accounting for density and area, to estimate attendance at events  [2].

Parade Attendance and Trump’s G7 Appearance

Despite Trump’s claims, the parade reportedly did not draw the anticipated crowds, coinciding with numerous “without kings” demonstrations across the nation. On Monday, Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, where he again highlighted the favorable weather during the parade.

“We had the parade the other day. They said there was 100 percent chance of rain. It doesn’t rain,” Trump told Carney.

Trump departed the summit early to address the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran in Washington, D.C.

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