President Trump is getting his military parade after all.
For nearly five hours at the Independence Day celebration and “Salute to America” being hosted by Trump on the National Mall, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard will be featured in the nation’s capital like never before.
While planning is still underway for the July 4th events, officials said that the president wants to dedicate most of his hour in the spotlight to the military branches, including their tools of combat.
Even as his enemies have criticized Trump for becoming part of the show next Thursday evening and potentially turning it into a political rally, the event overseen by the National Park Service and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt will be a massive display of support for the military that the country hasn’t seen in decades, if ever.
“This will be like nothing you’ve ever seen in your lifetime,” an administration official involved in the planning told Secrets.
The timeline now calls for bands from each branch, including the famous Old Guard, to perform after 3 p.m., and their music will be piped into the Mall and onto Jumbotrons for several hours.
At 6:30 p.m., Trump will enter the stage at the Lincoln Memorial for a speech on America that might last 15 minutes.
After that, he plans to talk about each branch of the military individually. “Each address will be to honor those branches,” said the official.
For over 5-8 minutes, the commander-in-chief will talk about the branches, the bands from those branches will play, and military might will be shown.
Officials revealed to Secrets, for example, that the Navy’s fabled Blue Angels will perform over the crowd. They won’t just do a flyover, but will show off their acrobatics.
Air Force One is also expected to make an appearance, along with other aircraft.
The president has wanted a military parade since attending France’s July Bastille Day in 2017.
Ninety minutes after the speaking ends, as Secrets reported earlier this week, a $1 million fireworks show will begin with displays shown in a semi-circle around the Lincoln Memorial. The show typically costs $270,000, but designer Fireworks by Grucci and Phantom Fireworks are donating an additional $750,000 to add to the show from Garden State Fireworks.
“This is going to be the greatest Fourth of July since the original, with increased access across the National Mall for the public to enjoy music, flyovers, and a spectacular fireworks display,” said Bernhardt.
