Over 100 vehicles and thousands of soldiers, who will be housed in federal facilities, are anticipated to join in the parade(Image: Getty Images)During an interview with NBC’s “Meet The Press,” wealthy President Donald Trump said the egregious cost of his upcoming military anniversary parade next month, which coincides with his birthday and is estimated to cost anywhere between $25 and $45 million, is “peanuts” in an alarmingly tone-deaf response to taxpayer concerns.
Earlier this month, President Trump affirmed the plans, saying that “we’re going to have a big, beautiful parade.” The president added that the occasion has nothing to do with his birthday. In response, Trump stated that the cost would be “peanuts compared to the value of doing it.”
“We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we’re going to celebrate it,” he told NBC News.
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Abrams tanks will also be on display, and the military intends to place metal plates on Washington’s streets(Image: AFP via Getty Images)The entire festival, including the activities leading up to the procession, is included in the estimated cost. Over 100 vehicles and thousands of soldiers, who will be housed in federal facilities, are anticipated to join in the parade in Washington, D.C. According to the spokeswoman, “extensive coordination” with the Federal Aviation Administration is necessary because it may also involve 50 helicopters.
Abrams tanks will also be on display, and the military intends to place metal plates on Washington’s streets to prevent the 120,000-pound armored vehicles from causing pavement damage, according to a defense official.
Democrats have expressed some disapproval of the measures(Image: AFP via Getty Images)The event will be held on June 14, which is also Trump’s 79th birthday, as part of the Army’s 250th anniversary celebrations. According to a statement from White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, the expense will be “shared by the Department of the Army and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.”
“President Trump will commemorate the United States Army’s birthday with a military parade that honors all who served since our great nation was founded 250 years ago,” Kelly said. “There is no event grand enough to adequately capture our gratitude for the millions of heroes who laid down their lives defending our freedom, but this parade will be a fitting tribute to the service, sacrifice, and selflessness of all who have worn the uniform.”
The pomp of a military parade has always piqued Mr. Trump’s curiosity(Image: AFP via Getty Images)A potential military march was the subject of rumors last month. More than 6,600 soldiers, seven bands, and 150 vehicles, including tanks and Stryker and Bradley fighting vehicles, were included in the initial plans, according to The Associated Press. However, the Army said that the plans were still in the early stages of development.
Democrats have expressed some disapproval of the measures. The proposal was deemed wasteful earlier this month by Tennessee Representative Steve Cohen, who wrote in a statement that “The egotist-in-chief wants taxpayers to foot the bill for a military parade on his birthday.”
The pomp of a military parade has always piqued Mr. Trump’s curiosity. The president said “we’re going to have to try and top it” on the Fourth of July while visiting France in 2017, during his first term, and praising the nation’s yearly Bastille Day parade.