The Trump administration is planning a military parade in Washington for the president's birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army - The Hill
Kyiv • UNN
The Trump administration is planning a large-scale military parade in Washington on June 14. The event is timed to coincide with the president's 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
The Donald Trump administration plans to hold a large-scale military parade on June 14 in Washington to mark the president's 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. This was reported by The Hill, writes UNN.
Details
The Washington City Paper was the first to report on the parade, noting that it will stretch nearly 4 miles from the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, to the White House.
According to The Hill, an army representative confirmed the duration of the parade and said that "there are plans to hold a parade in which the military will participate," adding that nothing has been decided definitively yet.
The official noted that the army planned to celebrate its 250th anniversary with a significant increase in capabilities, which could be observed in previous years. Planning began last year, and since then the event has expanded, and now more units are involved.
The official also said that local authorities in Washington were involved in the planning, and engineers from both the army and the city conducted "route reconnaissance."
The Army is very excited to celebrate its 250th anniversary with the entire district. We want Americans to be proud of their army, as well as their nation. It is too early to say whether we will have a parade, but we are working with the White House, as well as several government agencies, to make the celebration a national event," - said Army spokesman Colonel Dave Butler.
"We'll have to try to surpass that," he reportedly told French President Emmanuel Macron.
But the event, scheduled for November 10, was canceled after defense officials cited a price tag of $92 million and were in no hurry to plan it, citing more pressing issues. The event also drew sharp criticism both publicly and privately within the administration.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin (Illinois) at the time called the plans for a military parade a "fantastic waste of money for the sake of the president's entertainment."
And Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican from South Carolina), a staunch Trump supporter, warned against treating the parade as a demonstration of military might "in the Soviet style."
Washington officials also complained that heavy military equipment, such as tanks, would damage city roads and cost the city millions of dollars due to public safety concerns.
The Department of Defense could use its training budget to pay for flyovers and the use of vehicles from nearby bases, but the event would also require external expenses, such as paying for Secret Service and police services, as well as renting and building stands and fences.
According to the media, the planning timeline is also tight, given that there are less than 10 weeks left until June 14, Trump's birthday.
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