On June 6, 2025, Veterans from across the country came together in Washington, DC, to protest the Trump Administration. Their focus on cuts to the Veteran’s Administration, as well as new policies on LGBTQ+ issues in the military and immigration, drove many of them to protest in front of the Capitol Building.
Speakers at the protest included Cliff Cash, a comedian and veteran’s advocate, as well as Cecil Roberts, a Vietnam War vet and president of the United Mine Workers of America. Also present were nurses and other medical staff of the VA who rallied to support the veterans and protest the cuts they have faced since Trump took office for the second time.
All the speakers and veterans spoke out against the current administration, rebuking it for what they view as an uprooting of American values and Constitutional norms. Emphasizing this, Mr. Roberts shared an anecdote from his time in Vietnam, commenting on how shortly after Martin Luther King Jr. was killed he watched his fellow African-American soldiers still go “into the rice paddies” and defend America, even as America did not defend them.
Headlining the event were the Dropkick Murphys, who have a large pro-veterans stance, and who performed at the event to help advocate for Constitutional norms and veterans’ rights.
This is a photo story depicting the veterans who are resisting what they see as fundamentally unconstitutional behavior, and who shed light on the growing complexity of American social dynamics and politics.