On June 14, 2025, a day marked by both Flag Day and President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, nationwide protests known as the "No Kings Protests" swept across the United States. Also referred to as the "No Dictators" and "No Tyrants" protests internationally, the demonstrations by protestors served as a direct response to the current U.S. administration's perceived efforts to erode the system of checks and balances designed to equalize the branches of government and constrain the executive's power.

The movement's scale was immense. Organizers estimate that over 5 million people participated in the protests across more than 2,100 cities and towns in the United States alone, with additional solidarity protests held worldwide.¹² Among the thousands of communities taking part was Boone, North Carolina, where residents from across the High Country gathered to add their voices to the national chorus.

"I attended this event at first just to see some people that I knew, but the longer I was there, I realized that the protest was more than just a get-together," said Mitchell Jasper, 12. "I had always been a little cautious to share my beliefs among peers because I was scared of [judgment] and being singled out, but being at the protest made me feel like I was in a safe place and that not only could I share my beliefs as loud as I wanted, but it felt like my voice mattered."

Boone's event was centered on King St. in downtown and lasted officially from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, though protesters stayed at the scene long after the official conclusion of the event. People from throughout the High Country attended to show their support for what they feel is a founding principle of the United States of America: We do not want a king.

While an event survey conducted by the organizers of Boone's No Kings event suggests that only 64 people were in attendance,¹⁰ the actual estimated turnout was significantly higher. The discrepancy stems from the march that began at 11:30 AM. As the group marched along King Street for roughly an hour, a continuous stream of protesters joined and departed without completing the organizers' check-in survey. Taking this dynamic participation into account, local  estimates place the total attendance between 200 and 300 people.

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Controversy surrounded President Trump's June 14 military parade. This was for a number of reasons, ranging from the cost of the parade (a projected $45 million³) to the potential but unconfirmed perception that President Trump was aggrandizing himself on his birthday.¹⁷

Figures promoted by the White House representing the crowd size stand in opposition to observations by independent media groups and on-site analysts, creating a highly polarizing environment. Attendance was projected in the weeks leading up to the parade to meet roughly 200,000, as reported by several news media outlets.⁵ ¹³ ¹⁶ Following the parade, however, this projection shifted significantly, increasing to 250,000. 

This claim seems to have stemmed from a post on X, formerly Twitter, by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, which stated, "Amazing. Despite the threat of rain, over 250,000 patriots showed up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the @USArmy. God Bless the USA!" ²

The broad consensus challenges the credibility of the "250,000 attendees" claim. Several reputable, independent news media outlets give remarkably consistent observations that strongly suggest the White House's claims are inaccurate.¹ ³ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ Notable examples include The Associated Press, one of the world's largest news agencies, which said the turnout "appeared to fall far short of early predictions that as many as 200,000 people would attend the festival and parade," ¹ and The Guardian, who said that the parade was "a little underwhelming." ³ 

An official estimate with greater accuracy than what the White House promoted has yet to be released. However, speculation from experts such as Doug Landry, an event planner with experience organizing major events, suggests that numbers hovered around 100,000 people, with a margin of error of 20,000.⁶ In other words, a more accurate estimate of the turnout for Trump's parade would be between 80,000 and 120,000 people.