Trump defends the high price tag for his military parade: 'Peanuts compared to the value'
President Donald Trump told NBC News he plans to hold several events to celebrate U.S. military victories this year, including a 'big, beautiful' military parade in Washington, D.C., to commemorate Flag Day, which also happens to fall on his birthday.
'My birthday happens to be on Flag Day,' Trump told NBC News' 'Meet the Press' moderator Kristen Welker in a wide-ranging interview at Mar-a-Lago that aired on Sunday. 'I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday. Somebody put it together. But no, I think we're going to do something on June 14 maybe or somewhere around there. But I think June 14. It's a very important day.'
The parade won't be cheap.
Defense officials told NBC News that the estimated cost could be as high as $45 million, with individual Army units ultimately bearing the cost of the parade — which could potentially impact funds used for training.
Trump said it would be worth it.
'Peanuts compared to the value of doing it,' Trump said of the cost. 'We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we're going to celebrate it.'
The event, which will also mark the Army's 250th birthday, is expected to include 6,600 soldiers, an Army spokesman said.
Defense officials familiar with the planning said it is also expected to feature more than 50 aircraft and 150 military vehicles, which could include wheeled vehicles such as Humvees and trucks, and so-called tracked vehicles, like tanks.
The military parade is just one of several events Trump said he intends to host this year to mark America's wartime achievements.
Trump said he was inspired after speaking with French President Emmanuel Macron about Victory Day celebrations in Europe commemorating the end of World War II. He said he was considering celebrations on separate days to commemorate the end of the two world wars.
Recounting a past conversation with France President Emmanuel Macron, Trump recalled saying, "'We had more to do with winning World War II than any other nation. Why don't we have a Victory Day?' So we're going to have a Victory Day for World War I and for World War II."
'You know, if you look at Russia, they celebrate Victory Day,' he had previously noted.
'I think you can have two days,' Trump said. 'This doesn't mean we're going to go and not work and have a national holiday and all of that, because we don't have many of those days left. You know, eventually our country will become all national holidays.'
When Welker pressed for more details on these celebrations, Trump pivoted back to talking about Flag Day and didn't get into specifics.
The U.S. officially claims Nov. 11, 1918, the day an armistice agreement was signed with Germany, as the end of World War I. Sept. 2, 1945, when the U.S. accepted Japan's surrender, is the date recorded as the end of World War II.
Trump also revealed his plans to remodel the White House, starting by replacing grass in the Rose Garden with a 'beautiful stone surface.'
'We had the prime minister of India here, and they had a lot of press, and the women were walking out with their shoes full of mud. So we can't have that,' Trump said.
The renovations will also include an effort to build a ballroom in the East Wing of the White House using existing meeting rooms. It would be used in part to host world leaders.
'You know, when they have a party for, like, when the head of China comes in, or the head of anybody, you know, head of anything,' Trump said, 'they have a party where they have a tent 200 yards away, where people have to walk in the rain to get to a tent. And that's not for us. That's not for the United States of America.'
Trump noted that he built a ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago property and said his background as a real estate developer makes him uniquely equipped to carry out the White House renovation.
He told Welker he plans to fund the effort himself.
'Yeah, I'm not going to ask the government for money. I'll fund it, and I'm sure we'll have some donations to it. But it's not an inexpensive thing. It'll cost a lot of money,' Trump said, adding that 'it will be something really beautiful, top of the line.'
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