President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has canceled his plans to host a military parade in Washington D.C. this year—however, as many people online have pointed out—the announcement comes after the Pentagon said the event would cost upwards of $90 million.
Trump said instead of hosting a parade, he plans on attending the annual Armistice Day parade in France in early November. The plan is apparently to host a parade in the United States “next year.”
“The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead…,” the president said in a series of tweets. “….attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters!”
The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018
….attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018
The president’s tweets came just after the Department of Defense predicted the cost would be $92 million, a jump from the initial estimate of $12 million, according to CNBC. The agency also announced that the parade, originally scheduled to take place on Veterans Day, would be postponed in favor of finding “opportunities in 2019.”
After the price tag of the parade was announced, the American Legion released a statement where its national commander, Denise H. Rohan, said she felt the money would be better spent on troops.
“The American Legion appreciates that our president wants to show in a dramatic fashion our nation’s support for our troops,” Rohan said in a statement. “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 Veterans Affairs and giving our troops and their families the best care possible.”
Trump’s insistence that he canceled the parade instead of the (more likely) scenario of officials balking at the cost and seeing the criticism, was quickly mocked online.
https://twitter.com/prosperi_gloria/status/1030441327820005377
Let me translate this tweet:
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) August 17, 2018
"Jim Mattis and the DOD told me to go blow it out my ass. Now I will throw a tantrum." https://t.co/zhrqrIk0aq
https://twitter.com/abbydphillip/status/1030423894979739648
No, it was canceled because the American Legion complained of the price tag, more than half of which would be in security. https://t.co/eh8SJ88ZSO
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) August 17, 2018
Executive Time is going to be particularly pouty today since the Bone Spur Kid doesn't get to play commander. https://t.co/6oAlXwZzNc
— Michael Freeman (@michaelpfreeman) August 17, 2018
Trump cancels the $92 M military parade because of the high cost…blames the District of Columbia. Nothing is ever his fault including coming up with such a wasteful and stupid fascist idea. Narcissist to the core and now his Putin envy will only get worse.
— Richard Saunders (@BoycottUtah) August 17, 2018
Maybe Mexico will pay for Trump's military parade.
— V͎O͎I͎Z͎E͎ ͎O͎F͎ ͎R͎E͎A͎Z͎O͎N͎ (@Voize_of_Reazon) August 17, 2018
What will the excuse be when the parade is canceled next year?
READ MORE: