The Trump administration has invited more than 30 social media influencers to cover the Army’s 250th anniversary parade Saturday in Washington, The Washington Times has learned.
Administration officials say relying on content creators, podcasters, vloggers and other influencers will help bring the parade to the increasing number of Americans who don’t follow traditional media outlets.
It is an extension of President Trump’s aggressive effort to reach out to social media stars during the 2024 election, which helped him make inroads with young voters, particularly young men. Mr. Trump won men aged 18 to 29 in the election to help catapult him back to the White House.
The influencers covering the parade include:
• Dylan Page, a TikTok content creator known as “News Daddy.”
• Benny Johnson, a conservative political commentator and YouTuber.
• Jack Posobiec, a political commentator on X.
• Tim Kennedy, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier and mixed martial arts fighter who is now a political commentator.
These influencers each have millions of followers.
“The Army’s 250th Birthday Parade will be a historic celebration of patriotism, sacrifice, and America’s strength. The event will include a living timeline of the U.S. Army’s history, a cutting-edge military showcase and a moving reenlistment ceremony,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told The Times.
What’s just as important, she said, is who will be watching.
“As part of the president’s efforts to reach new audiences, Americans can be part of history by watching wall-to-wall coverage on social media from their favorite influencers,” said Ms. Kelly.
The social media stars will have exclusive behind-the-scenes access, aerial views, and frontline interviews with soldiers, veterans and Army leadership. They will also help provide wall-to-wall coverage of the parade from the opening procession to the reenlistment ceremony, aiming to bring Americans across the country to the heart of the celebration, another official said, describing the unique access to be provided.
Viewers also will be able to tune in to the parade in Washington from their homes or gather with communities and follow along via live social media feeds using #Army250.
The event will be Washington’s largest military parade in decades, featuring thousands of marching soldiers, rows of tanks, parachute jumps and flyovers. It follows a yearslong push by Mr. Trump to host a military parade after he witnessed one during a trip to France.
The festivities coincide with Mr. Trump’s 79th birthday. However, planning for the parade began under President Biden.
The parade is being billed as a patriotic celebration of the Army’s legacy and a call to inspire the next generation of service-minded Americans. It will highlight the courage and sacrifice of veterans, active-duty soldiers, wounded warriors and Gold Star families.
“It is a moment to reflect on 250 years of service to the nation — and express our gratitude as one united country,” the official said.
Mr. Trump’s 2024 campaign strategy broke new ground by embracing a powerful mix of digital partnerships and targeted social media messages that resonated across traditional and nontraditional platforms. The approach enabled him to dominate the digital media landscape and spend less time and money on conventional campaign methods such as commercial advertising.
A study from Pew Research Center analyzed more than 150,000 posts from 500 news influencers published in the run-up to the election. The study found that influences mentioned Mr. Trump and his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, equally, but their posts were overwhelmingly more favorable to him than to Ms. Harris.
Mr. Trump has continued that outreach to nontraditional media since returning to the White House. So-called “new media” outlets, influencers and podcasters were invited to apply for press credentials and participate in press briefings. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt added a seat in the briefings for influencers, podcasters and other news-related content creators. The person in this seat is always called on first.
