The militaristic extravaganza Trump envisoned for his birthday was no match for the millions that protested his policies nationwide

U.S. President Donald Trump took the stage on Saturday to address the crowd attending the Army's 250th Birthday celebration, which featured a parade showcasing U.S. military equipment earlier in the day.

The procession, with more than 6,000 soldiers and 128 Army tanks, was one Trump tried to make happen in his first term.

The parade was the spectacle event Trump had long wanted. It also helped sparked the largest mass opposition to him since his inauguration 145 days earlier.

President Donald Trump reiterated the success of his military parade, despite the fact that the event was overshadowed by protests across the nation.

President Trump hosted Saturday the country's largest military parade in decades in Washington D.C., marking 250 years of the U.S. Army — a date that coincided with his 79th birthday. The big picture: The parade was being held as millions took part in anti-Trump demonstrations across the U.

At least one demonstration, about 70 miles from Washington, D.C., in Northern Virginia, was met with violence when a man intentionally drove an SUV through a crowd of departing protesters, striking at least one person,

A flagship "No Kings" march and rally are planned in Philadelphia, but no events are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., where the military parade will take place on Trump's 79th birthday. Organizers of the protests say they want to take attention away from the parade.