Trump plans tanks and flyovers at Fourth of July celebration in Washington

[webfact]

Trump plans tanks and flyovers at Fourth of July celebration in Washington

By Andy Sullivan and Makini Brice

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. first lady Melania Trump stand on the Truman Balcony during the National Anthem as fireworks celebrating Independence Day begin at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday that he plans to display battle tanks on Washington's National Mall as part of a pumped-up Fourth of July celebration that will also feature flyovers by fighter jets and other displays of military prowess.

 

The military hardware is just one new element in a U.S. Independence Day pageant that will depart significantly from the nonpartisan, broadly patriotic programs that typically draw hundreds of thousands of people to the monuments in downtown Washington.

 

While past presidents have traditionally kept a low profile on July 4, Trump plans to deliver a speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

 

Also on the agenda are an extended fireworks display and flyovers by Air Force One, the custom Boeing 747 used by U.S. presidents, and the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels jet squadron.

 

"I'm going to say a few words, and we're going to have planes going overhead," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "And we're going to have tanks stationed outside."

 

Democrats in Congress have accused Trump of hijacking the event to boost his re-election prospects in 2020. They have also questioned how much the event will cost the cash-strapped National Park Service.

 

Trump has pushed for a military parade in Washington since he marvelled at the Bastille Day military parade in Paris in 2017. His administration postponed a parade that had been planned for Veterans Day in November 2018 after costs ballooned to $90 million, three times the initial estimate.

 

Trump said modern M1 Abrams tanks and World War Two-era Sherman tanks would both be on display. District of Columbia officials have said the heavy military equipment could damage city streets.

 

"You've got to be pretty careful with the tanks because the roads have a tendency not to like to carry heavy tanks, so we have to put them in certain areas," Trump said.

 

The antiwar group Code Pink said it had secured permits to fly a "Baby Trump" blimp, depicting the president in diapers, during his speech. "Babies need enormous amounts of attention and are unable to gauge the consequences of their behaviour - just like Donald Trump," co-founder Medea Benjamin said in a news release.

 

The Interior Department, which oversees the event, has not said how much the event will cost. Two fireworks firms will put on a 35-minute display for free, which the agency said was equal to a donation of $700,000.

 

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan and Makini Brice; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Diane Craft and Peter Cooney)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-02

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[Ozman52]

Dictators everywhere just love their military parades! Didn't they cancel the last one he planned?

[bristolboy]

And for the first time ever, there's going to be a private VIP area. Because what better way to celebrate American democracy than to institute privileged access?

[ThreeEyedRaven]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

His administration postponed a parade that had been planned for Veterans Day in November 2018 after costs ballooned to $90 million, three times the initial estimate.

 

But now wants to waste another ridiculous sum so he can have a military parade akin to North Korea or Russia. It's supposed to be the remembrance of independence, not a re-election rally.

[RJRS1301]

People homeless, medical system broken, but the man is willing to look like an Asian dictator. Did he bring back the "events coordinator " from NK with him.

 

He has no shame.

 

[bendejo]

Anwar Sadat attended a military parade once.  It didn't go the way he expected.

 

 

[SammyT]

All that military might yet the yanks haven't won a war in how long? Cant even beat rice farmers and goat herders...

[RJRS1301]

Just now, SammyT said:

All that military might yet the yanks haven't won a war in how long? Cant even beat rice farmers and goat herders...

They plan for war, never for peace since 1945

[Tug]

Leave it to Donald to wreck the Fourth of July that draft dodging pow insulting parasite 

[worgeordie]

Just another example of this megalomaniac, would be

dictator,

regards worgeordie

[bendejo]

I'm really really hoping the Baby Trump balloon from UK will be on the mall.  This time we're counting on you redcoats.

 

Also, I'm thinking there may be people celebrating on the mall and spurning his performance at the Lincoln Memorial. 

Some of you may be familiar with Don Giovanni, where the statue speaks...

 

 

[VocalNeal]

Yesterday was Canada Day. No tanks!

 

[Skallywag]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Two fireworks firms will put on a 35-minute display for free, which the agency said was equal to a donation of $700,000.

Cheaper than a weekend of golf at Mar-a-lago

[Skallywag]

42 minutes ago, SammyT said:

All that military might yet the yanks haven't won a war in how long? Cant even beat rice farmers and goat herders...

Do not want to win wars - the military industrial complex makes their billions of dollars by perpetuating conflicts in foreign countries ad-infinitum . 

[user68677878]

Ahhh so that is what he and Rocketman were talking about- Trump wanted to know just how to do it.

[user68677878]

34 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Yesterday was Canada Day. No tanks!

 

Do they own any??????

[Morch]

1 hour ago, Ozman52 said:

Dictators everywhere just love their military parades! Didn't they cancel the last one he planned?

 

1 hour ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

But now wants to waste another ridiculous sum so he can have a military parade akin to North Korea or Russia. It's supposed to be the remembrance of independence, not a re-election rally.

 

As I recall, Trump's "inspiration" was France:

 

Trump praises Macron, considers July 4 military parade like one he saw in Paris

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-macron/trump-praises-macron-considers-july-4-military-parade-like-one-he-saw-in-paris-idUSKCN1BT2GX

[Somtamnication]

Dictators love tanks, flyovers and prisons. Feels like an episode out of The Man in the High Castle!!

[neeray]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump plans to deliver a speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

Me,

Myself

and

I

[Puchaiyank]

I'm thinking some storm trooper uniforms with knee high black boots...high stepping in front of the military equipment would complete the picture...????

[BobBKK]

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Yesterday was Canada Day. No tanks!

 

Yup they are still on horseback!  Still I like the British busbies there

[Cryingdick]

Good for Trump. God bless America. Haters gonna hate. 

[fishtank]

Getting more like his buddies Kim and Vlad every day.

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, Cryingdick said:

Good for Trump. God bless America. Haters gonna hate. 

A Pavlovian response of Trump supporters when they have nothing germane to say in defense of Trump's actions.

[JohnOFphon]

I used to support this guy....but now...I think he is a total moron.

A moron that doesn't know most people are laughing at him....

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, porphyry said:

Do they own any??????

Yep. They use German made Leopards

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, Ozman52 said:

Funny, none of the other presidents who saw combat  (GHW Bush, Nixon LBJ, JFK, Ford, Eisenhower) have been denigrated. John McCain deserves a special mention.

Some of these had exemptions that could have kept them out of combat, none developed imaginary illnesses.

I am pretty sure JFK did serve in the Pacific Islands during WW11

Eisenhower served in Europe as I recall as well

 

[ballpoint]

1 hour ago, bristolboy said:

A Pavlovian response of Trump supporters when they have nothing germane to say in defense of Trump's actions.

Has anyone, at any time, anywhere, ever had anything germane to say in defense of Trump's actions?

[Boon Mee]

5 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Yesterday was Canada Day. No tanks!

 

That's because Americans have Canada's back. 

World's policeman ???? 

[ratcatcher]

2 hours ago, BobBKK said:

Yup they are still on horseback!  Still I like the British busbies there

They ain't busbies but bearskins.

The bears that give their lives to sit on the head of a guardsman are also Canadian.

These are busbies or shakos.     

Stand easy.