Trump Administration Raises Eyebrows Over Summer Military Parade Plans

The Trump administration is reportedly in the early stages of planning an elaborate military parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Army on June 14. What has some questioning the move is the fact that President Donald Trump turns 79 on that same day.

CNN reports that, according to two Defense Department officials, the Trump administration is floating a preliminary plan to hold a lavish parade to honor the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed to local outlet Washington City Paper that her administration is in talks with the White House regarding the parade.

“I haven’t been directly involved in it yet,” Bowser said to a throng of reporters, according to CNN. “I understand that – I think it was Homeland Security, maybe the White House – reached out to our special events task force, which is what most people wanting to do a parade do in the district. So, I would say it’s at its early stages. Yes, they have reached out. I don’t know if it’s being characterized as a military parade.”

In 2018, President Trump floated the idea of a military parade that would’ve cost north of $92 million and cost up to $21 million in public safety measures to control the parade. At the time, Trump wanted the parade as a display of America’s military might, but canceled the plans after the high costs and resistance from Mayor Bowser ended the elaborate parade.

Plans for some sort of acknowledgement of the Army’s anniversary were well underway before Trump won the election last November, yet a parade was not on the docket. Should this plan go ahead as envisioned, the parade will begin at the Pentagon in Arlington, stretching from the Northern Virginia city to the White House.

Outside observers are naturally wondering if this celebration would indeed take place on Trump’s birthday, and the enormity of the costs, along with the potential damage to D.C. streets from the heavy tanks, is also a concern.

—

Photo: ANGELA WEISS / Getty