Washington – President Trump Says He Has Cancelled Military Parade Over Price Tag

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    Military units participate in the inaugural parade from the Capitol to the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)Washington – President Donald Trump said Friday he had canceled plans for a Veteran’s Day military parade in November, citing the “ridiculously high” price tag.

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    Trump on Twitter accused local politicians of price-gouging, although much of the projected $92 million price was attributed to Pentagon costs for aircraft, equipment and personnel.

    The Defense Department announced a day earlier that there would be no parade in 2018. Trump said perhaps something could be scheduled next year when the price “comes WAY DOWN.” He did not explain how the costs would be reduced.

    Trump said he would instead attend an event at Andrews Air Force Base on another day and travel to Paris for Nov. 11 events marking the centennial of the end of fighting in World War I.

    Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday that the military and the White House “have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019.”

    That announcement came several hours after The Associated Press reported that the parade would cost about $92 million, according to U.S. officials citing preliminary estimates more than three times the price first suggested by the White House.

    According to the officials, roughly $50 million would cover Pentagon costs for aircraft, equipment, personnel and other support for the November parade in Washington. The remainder would be borne by other agencies and largely involve security costs. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss early planning estimates that have not yet been finalized or released publicly.

    Officials said the parade plans had not yet been approved by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

    Mattis himself said late Thursday that he had seen no such estimate and questioned the media reports.

    The Pentagon chief told reporters traveling with him to Bogota, Colombia, that whoever leaked the number to the press was “probably smoking something that is legal in my state but not in most” — a reference to his home state of Washington, where marijuana use is legal.

    He added: “I’m not dignifying that number ($92 million) with a reply. I would discount that, and anybody who said (that number), I’ll almost guarantee you one thing: They probably said, ‘I need to stay anonymous.’ No kidding, because you look like an idiot. And No. 2, whoever wrote it needs to get better sources. I’ll just leave it at that.”

    The parade’s cost has become a politically charged issue, particularly after the Pentagon canceled a major military exercise planned for August with South Korea, in the wake of Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump said the drills were provocative and that dumping them would save the U.S. “a tremendous amount of money.” The Pentagon later said the Korea drills would have cost $14 million.

    Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said earlier Thursday that Defense Department planning for the parade “continues and final details are still being developed. Any cost estimates are pre-decisional.”

    The parade was expected to include troops from all five armed services — the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard — as well as units in period uniforms representing earlier times in the nation’s history. It also was expected to involve a number of military aircraft flyovers.

    A Pentagon planning memo released in March said the parade would feature a “heavy air component,” likely including older, vintage aircraft. It also said there would be “wheeled vehicles only, no tanks — consideration must be given to minimize damage to local infrastructure.” Big, heavy tanks could tear up streets in the District of Columbia.

    The memo from Mattis’ office provided initial planning guidance to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His staff is planning the parade along a route from the White House to the Capitol and would integrate it with the city’s annual veterans’ parade. U.S. Northern Command, which oversees U.S. troops in North America, is responsible for the actual execution of the parade.

    Earlier this year, the White House budget director told Congress that the cost to taxpayers could be $10 million to $30 million. Those estimates were likely based on the cost of previous military parades, such as the one in the nation’s capital in 1991 celebrating the end of the first Gulf War, and factored in some additional increase for inflation.

    One veterans group weighed in Thursday against the parade. “The American Legion appreciates that our President wants to show in a dramatic fashion our nation’s support for our troops,” National Commander Denise Rohan said. “However, until such time as we can celebrate victory in the War on Terrorism and bring our military home, we think the parade money would be better spent fully funding the Department of Veteran Affairs and giving our troops and their families the best care possible.”

    Trump decided he wanted a military parade in Washington after he attended France’s Bastille Day celebration in the center of Paris last year. As the invited guest of French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump watched enthusiastically from a reviewing stand as the French military showcased its tanks and fighter jets, including many U.S.-made planes, along the famed Champs-Elysees.

    Several months later Trump praised the French parade, saying, “We’re going to have to try and top it.”


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    34 Comments
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    yaakov doe
    Member
    yaakov doe
    5 years ago

    Look at the yuuge crowd of onlookers at the Trump inauguration. According to Trump that was the largest crowd ever for an inaugural.

    ayinglefunadorf
    ayinglefunadorf
    5 years ago

    B”H the POTUS is starting to back down from his narischkeits.He knew it very well that a parade cost money just like he knows that Obamacare is Great and stopped the Republicans to repeal it. Lets hope he starts to understand that Mexicans are hard workers we need, Canada is our friend and ally, MAGA is a racist White Supremacist slogan designed against us Jews and other minorities.America is Greater than ever. Russia with 600 Nukes is our biggest treat followed by No Korea.

    5 years ago

    Big mistake! What is the orange yutz gonna do now for his ego and self-aggrandizement now??

    yaakov doe
    Member
    yaakov doe
    5 years ago

    Uneducated Archie was so looking forward to attending his hero’s North Korean style military parade, he must be heartbroken.

    Butterfly
    Butterfly
    5 years ago

    If he is not having it why is he still talking and tweeting about it? Makes no sense!

    5 years ago

    So many comments all from tne same meathead .

    Let me repeat maga is not anti semetic despite #1 lies . It’s fake news . Maga is about tne 1950s way after anti semtism yet before lbj and the hippies .Its about the stability of small town America . It’s about world respect post ww2. Guys don’t buy #1 lies

    Re the parade I am not sure why the govt couldn’t turn this into a money making thing with ads special ticketed shows etc .. A real
    Shame

    Cixelsyd_Wnosanoy
    Cixelsyd_Wnosanoy
    5 years ago

    …and the putz blames the D.C. government for “inflating” the costs of such a parade!

    shimonyehuda
    shimonyehuda
    5 years ago

    the pentagon did not want to make a military parade it does not like or feel a need to show off its capabilities like Russia or other autocratic dictatorships like Nazi Germany North Korea or the communist Soviet Union

    Phineas
    Phineas
    5 years ago

    Scapegoats local politicians for a Defense Department expense issue. It’s expensive to transport multi-million dollar equipment and period piece costumes, and soldiers and provide security. Either pay and have the parade or stop whining.

    puppydogs
    puppydogs
    5 years ago

    Once again the man does the right thing, unlike the 8 years under the failed Obama dictatorship

    hashomer
    hashomer
    5 years ago

    After all the bragging about the MAGA Military Parade (make Amerika Gentile again) Trumpf kills it! Faux News will miss the PTSD Parade of Vets, Hannity won’t sob over the high military suicide rate, Ingraham won’t get fuzzy over the last 5 wars the US has lost… and Jake Tapper won’t wet his gotgez over The Bay of Chazirs. Only Dr StrangeYutz will miss riding on a rooskiya tank!

    5 years ago

    The parade would have been a large waste of taxpayer dollars. The tank treads would have destoryed the pavement on Constitution Avenue. At this point, as the American Legion has stated, until the War on Terrorism is over, and until we bring our armed forces home from Afghanistan, there is no reason to hold a large military parade; that money can better be used to take care of our veterans at home.