President Trump delivered his first explanation of what he would like to see in a military parade tentatively being planned for this year and said that such an event would be good for the “spirit of the country” and has strong support from his generals.
Confirming a report earlier in the day, Trump told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro during a phone interview on her Saturday evening show that preliminary talks have the date set for Veterans Day on Nov. 11, but said he also liked the idea of having a summer parade in Washington, D.C.
“I like July 4 because July 4 in Washington, D.C. would be beautiful,” he said. It would be up and down Pennsylvania Avenue.”
He also said there would be a lot of fly-overs.
The cost of such a parade has become a topic of concern among some critics. Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, estimated earlier this month that it cost the federal government between $10 million and $30 million.
Trump told Pirro that if the event is cost prohibitive, as he had explained he was looking to revamp a “very depleted” U.S. armed forces, he would back off the idea.
“We’ll see if we can do it at a reasonable cost. And if we can’t, we won’t do it,” he said.
“But the generals would love to do it, I can tell you, and so would I,” he added. “I think it’s great for the country in terms of being a cheerleader and the spirit. It’s very important.”
Trump has directed the Pentagon to organize the parade for Nov. 11, according to a memo written by national security adviser H.R. McMaster and summarized to Politico.
Trump wants the parade to start at the White House and end at the U.S. Capitol, about 2 miles away.
The memo was sent to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis from McMaster and says the president wants Mattis to brief him on “concepts of operation for this event.”
Trump raised the possibility of the parade to highlight the strength of the U.S. military and show appreciation for the troops, months after he attended the Bastille Day celebration in France with President Emmanuel Macron.
