Army anniversary parade on Trump's birthday could cost up to $45 million

A subject parade to people the Army's day adjacent period — coinciding with President Trump's day — is estimated to outgo betwixt $25 cardinal and $45 million, an Army spokesperson told CBS News.

The parade successful Washington, D.C., is expected to see implicit 100 vehicles and thousands of soldiers who volition beryllium housed successful national buildings. It could besides impact 50 helicopters, prompting "extensive coordination" with the Federal Aviation Administration, the spokesperson said.

The lawsuit volition instrumentality spot arsenic portion of the Army's 250th day celebrations connected June 14 — the aforesaid time arsenic Mr. Trump's 79th birthday.

Reports astir a imaginable subject parade began circulating last month. Initial plans obtained by the Associated Press 2 weeks agone called for much than 6,600 soldiers, 7 bands and 150 vehicles, including tanks arsenic good arsenic Stryker and Bradley warring vehicles — though astatine the time, the Army said the plans had not been finalized.

Mr. Trump confirmed the plans earlier this month: "We're going to person a big, beauteous parade," the president told NBC's "Meet The Press."

The president besides said the lawsuit isn't tied to his birthday. When asked astir the terms tag, Mr. Trump said it would beryllium "peanuts compared to the worth of doing it."

"We person the top missiles successful the world. We person the top submarines successful the world. We person the top service tanks successful the world. We person the top weapons successful the world. And we're going to observe it," Mr. Trump told NBC News.

The plans person drawn immoderate disapproval from Democrats. Earlier this month, Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee called the plan wasteful, penning successful a statement, "The egotist-in-chief wants taxpayers to ft the measure for a subject parade connected his birthday."

Mr. Trump's involvement successful the pageantry of a subject parade dates backmost years. During a 2017 sojourn to France during his archetypal term, the president praised the country's yearly Bastille Day parade and suggested "we're going to person to effort and apical it" connected the Fourth of July.

A twelvemonth later, the medication began drafting up plans for a parade to admit Veterans' Day. But aft reports circulated that the lawsuit could outgo arsenic overmuch arsenic $92 cardinal — and immoderate Democratic lawmakers blasted the idea arsenic "self-aggrandizing" — Mr. Trump postponed the lawsuit and blamed section elected officials for driving up the price.

"The section politicians who tally Washington, D.C. (poorly) cognize a windfall erstwhile they spot it. When asked to springiness america a terms for holding a large celebratory subject parade, they wanted a fig truthful ridiculously precocious that I cancelled it," Mr. Trump posted connected X, past known arsenic Twitter, successful 2018.

In:
• Donald Trump
• U.S. Army
• Washington D.C.