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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's birthday military parade could cause $16 million of damage to DC's streets
Donald Trump's birthday military parade could cause as much as $16 million worth of damage to the streets of Washington, D.C., officials estimate. The June 14 parade, which will celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary, is being held on the president's own 79th birthday and will cost around $45 million. That price tag includes the estimated damage. Trump himself has called the cost of the parade 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' Organizers say that the parade will consist of around 130 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 Stryker armored fighting vehicles and artillery launchers being towed. A flyover of the U.S. capital will be undertaken by more than 50 helicopters, while 7,000 soldiers will march in the streets. There will also be at least eight bands, three dozen horses and two mules. The Army has said that it will cover all repair costs to the District's streets, which it estimates will be $16 million, according to NBC News. It has already said that it would place thick metal plates as long as 20ft down where tanks will turn on the parade route, at a cost of $3 million. Earlier this week, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was 'concerned' about the scope of damage that the tanks and armored vehicles could cause. "These are, for the most part, local streets, and if they're rendered in unusable, we have to make them usable,' she said. "Probably we would fix it and then go seek our money from the Fed," she said. "That gives me some concern about fronting costs and waiting for them to get back." Trump told NBC News' Meet the Press earlier this month that the 90-minute parade would be well worth its eye-watering 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,' Trump insisted.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Army estimates that Trump's military parade could cost $16 million in damage to Washington streets
The cost to repair Washington, D.C., streets after the upcoming military parade celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary could cost as much as $16 million, according to U.S. military officials. That's part of an estimated $45 million total cost for the June 14 military parade, which coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. The cost estimates have fluctuated as planning continues. In an interview with NBC News' 'Meet the Press' earlier this month, the president defended the cost of the parade, calling it 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' '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,' Trump added. The parade will be part of a massive celebration in downtown Washington that includes a number of events, historical displays and a demonstration by the Army's famous parachute team, the Golden Knights. The parade itself will include about 130 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 Stryker armored fighting vehicles and a number of vehicles towing artillery launchers. More than 50 helicopters will also participate in an 'extensive flyover' in the nation's capital. The event will also bring more than 9,000 soldiers from around the country to Washington, about 7,000 of whom will march in the parade itself. The event will also include at least eight Army bands, and some troops will ride on the nearly three dozen horses and two mules expected to march as part of a historical section of the parade. The soldiers visiting Washington for the parade will be housed in government buildings, including the Department of Agriculture building and a General Services Administration building. A few thousand others will bunk at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The troops are expected to eat military rations called meals ready to eat, or MREs, during their stay. Trump had long wanted a military parade during his first term. But it was canceled over concerns about cost and the optics of a military parade in the nation's capital that could be seen as akin to the kind commonly seen in Moscow, Beijing or Pyongyang, North Korea. The inclusion of tanks in a potential parade also drew concerns about what their tracks might do to the streets of Washington. The Army is preparing for the potential harm to Washington streets with several measures it hopes will avert damage. These include using 1-inch-thick steel plates, some as long as 20 feet, at places along the parade route where the tanks must turn and where those turns could cause the most damage to the streets. The addition of the steel plates is expected to cost the Army about $3 million, officials said. The tanks are also being outfitted with new track pads to create separation between the metal track and the ground, the officials said. Army officials said they believe these measures will keep the damage to a minimum and bring the cost of repairing any damage down significantly. 'We are targeting those areas that we have concerns, which primarily are areas where the tracked vehicles are going to have to turn sharply,' said Col. Jesse Curry, the executive officer for the Army Corps of Engineers. 'We are not particularly concerned that this staging area and the routes have been selected to really minimize the risk from weight and damage. But really, those areas where tanks have to turn, particularly the areas where the surface of the pavement, we typically receive an exaggerated level of stress.' The parade route itself will follow Constitution Avenue along the National Mall from 23rd Street to around 15th Street. The roughly 50 aircraft will include Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters, including several special operations variants. Also planned to fly are several historic aircraft, including World War II-era B-25s, P-51s and Vietnam-era helicopters. The parade is expected to last roughly 90 minutes and will be broken into eras: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, the modern Army and the future. The Army's Golden Knights will jump during the presentation about the Army's future and plan to deliver an American flag to Trump. In the early-May 'Meet the Press' interview, Trump defended himself against claims that the military parade was for his birthday, reiterating that the Army's 250th birthday and Flag Day are also on June 14. 'My birthday happens to be on Flag Day,' he said. '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.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Army says Trump's military parade could cause $16 million in damage to Washington streets
The cost to repair Washington, D.C., streets after the upcoming military parade celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary could cost as much as $16 million, according to U.S. military officials. That's part of an estimated $45 million total cost for the June 14 military parade, which coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. The cost estimates have fluctuated as planning continues. In an interview with NBC News' 'Meet the Press' earlier this month, the president defended the cost of the parade, calling it 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' '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,' Trump added. The parade will be part of a massive celebration in downtown Washington that includes a number of events, historical displays and a demonstration by the Army's famous parachute team, the Golden Knights. The parade itself will include about 130 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 Stryker armored fighting vehicles and a number of vehicles towing artillery launchers. More than 50 helicopters will also participate in an 'extensive flyover' in the nation's capital. The event will also bring more than 9,000 soldiers from around the country to Washington, about 7,000 of whom will march in the parade itself. The event will also include at least eight Army bands, and some troops will ride on the nearly three dozen horses and two mules expected to march as part of a historical section of the parade. The soldiers visiting Washington for the parade will be housed in government buildings, including the Department of Agriculture building and a General Services Administration building. A few thousand others will bunk at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The troops are expected to eat military rations called meals ready to eat, or MREs, during their stay. Trump had long wanted a military parade during his first term. But it was canceled over concerns about cost and the optics of a military parade in the nation's capital that could be seen as akin to the kind commonly seen in Moscow, Beijing or Pyongyang, North Korea. The inclusion of tanks in a potential parade also drew concerns about what their tracks might do to the streets of Washington. The Army is preparing for the potential harm to Washington streets with several measures it hopes will avert damage. These include using 1-inch-thick steel plates, some as long as 20 feet, at places along the parade route where the tanks must turn and where those turns could cause the most damage to the streets. The addition of the steel plates is expected to cost the Army about $3 million, officials said. The tanks are also being outfitted with new track pads to create separation between the metal track and the ground, the officials said. Army officials said they believe these measures will keep the damage to a minimum and bring the cost of repairing any damage down significantly. 'We are targeting those areas that we have concerns, which primarily are areas where the tracked vehicles are going to have to turn sharply,' said Col. Jesse Curry, the executive officer for the Army Corps of Engineers. 'We are not particularly concerned that this staging area and the routes have been selected to really minimize the risk from weight and damage. But really, those areas where tanks have to turn, particularly the areas where the surface of the pavement, we typically receive an exaggerated level of stress.' The parade route itself will follow Constitution Avenue along the National Mall from 23rd Street to around 15th Street. The roughly 50 aircraft will include Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters, including several special operations variants. Also planned to fly are several historic aircraft, including World War II-era B-25s, P-51s and Vietnam-era helicopters. The parade is expected to last roughly 90 minutes and will be broken into eras: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, the modern Army and the future. The Army's Golden Knights will jump during the presentation about the Army's future and plan to deliver an American flag to Trump. In the early-May 'Meet the Press' interview, Trump defended himself against claims that the military parade was for his birthday, reiterating that the Army's 250th birthday and Flag Day are also on June 14. 'My birthday happens to be on Flag Day,' he said. '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 Intercept
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Intercept
Expect Trump's Military Parade to Cost More Than the Army Says
President Donald Trump boasted on Monday that his hosting of a military parade in Washington, D.C., next month to honor the Army's 250th anniversary — coincidentally the same date as his 79th birthday — was an act of divine intervention. 'We're going to have a big, big celebration, as you know, 250 years,' he said during a Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery. 'Can you imagine? I missed that four years, and now look what I have, I have everything. Amazing the way things work out. God did that.' The massive military parade and related festivities planned for June 14 will cost an estimated $25 to $45 million, according to the Army. This is likely a significant underestimate due to many expenses that are unaccounted for – or will be billed later, such as damages to local infrastructure caused by armored vehicles. Members of Congress are already expressing outrage at what they see as a gross misuse of funds. 'Trump squandering $45 million in taxpayer dollars on a military parade for his birthday is the epitome of government waste,' said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. 'If the Trump Administration truly cared about celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Army, they would honor past and present soldiers and reinstate the thousands of veterans who they fired from the federal workforce — not throw away millions on an extravagant parade.' The purpose of the parade is also seemingly up for interpretation. The White House now says the parade is a celebration of the Army's semiquincentennial after, last month, denying reports that a parade would be held on the president's birthday. Trump, for his part, has offered shifting explanations, stating that the parade is a celebration of Flag Day, the military writ large, or tanks and other weaponry. The current plan, nonetheless, involves a martial spectacle reminiscent of the Soviet Union or North Korea in the heart of America's capital, with armored vehicles rolling down Constitution Avenue. It is slated to involve more than 100 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armored personnel carriers, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, four M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, as well as military relics like World War II-era Sherman tanks, a B-25 bomber, and a P-51 Mustang single-seat fighter plane, according to Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith. She added that the parade will also feature 34 horses, two mules, one wagon, and one dog. 'Join us on June 14th for the U.S. Army's 250th Anniversary Grand Military Parade on the National Mall! Hosted by President Donald Trump,' reads a White House post on X announcing the event, which will also feature 50 helicopters flying overhead, including Apaches, Black Hawks, and tandem-rotor Chinooks. The White House says that Trump will 'deliver remarks celebrating 250 Years of the U.S. Army's exceptional service, significant achievements, and enduring legacy.' Trump previously called the price tag of the parade 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' The White House did not respond to questions about the additional costs beyond those cited by the Army. 'This administration does not have a credible history of telling the truth about anything. And so, when they estimate $45 million, you know that's a low-ball figure.' Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., suspects the costs could be markedly higher than the current estimates. 'This administration does not have a credible history of telling the truth about anything. And so, when they estimate $45 million, you know that's a low-ball figure,' he told The Intercept. 'I don't know if it includes transporting the troops from their home stations to Washington or feeding them on that trip.' Cohen brought up other costs from aircraft flyovers — 'How much fuel do they burn up? How much maintenance is required before and after the flight?' — to the construction of stands and viewing platforms on the parade route. The total burden on taxpayers could also soar higher because the federal government is on the hook to fix city streets and other infrastructure torn up by the armored vehicles (each Abrams tank, for instance, weighs almost 70 tons). 'If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads,' said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in April, adding that tanks rolling through the city's streets 'would not be good.' The Army says they have this covered — at taxpayer expense. 'As a prevention measure to ensure there are no damages to the roads, one-inch-thick steel plates, varying in size from 4 feet by 8 feet and 8 feet by 20 feet will be placed on the roads at any pivot point and all new rubber tracks will be placed on vehicles,' Heather J. Hagan, an Army spokesperson, told The Intercept. 'The federal government would be responsible for any damages.' Additional expenses, like cleanup and an increased police presence, are also apparently not part of current estimates, although Daniel Gleick, Bowser's press secretary, was unable to provide projected local costs. The sheer number of agencies the Army is working with, however, speaks to the likelihood of wide-ranging additional expenses. 'The Army is coordinating with local law enforcement, National Park Services, District Department of Transportation, Federal Highways Administration, U.S. Park Police, and DC Water, who will assess the roads and bridges,' said Hagan. One major expense of the parade to be borne by taxpayers is the cross-country transport of mammoth military vehicles. The Abrams tanks have, for example, already been loaded onto flatbed railcars at an industrial rail yard facility at Fort Cavazos, Texas, for their long journey toward Washington. The tanks will then be trucked to a staging area near the parade route. The district will also be flooded with close to 7,000 troops. The Army did not want to disclose the locations for force protection reasons, but service members will be housed in the Agriculture Department and General Services Administration buildings, according to Pentagon sources. Contracting materials examined by The Intercept show the Army National Guard is seeking to rent '800 Sleeping Cots in Support of Army 250 Parade in Washington D.C.' 'They're going to sleep on cots. They're going to get cots and MREs,' said Smith, the Army spokesperson, referring to 'meals ready-to-eat,' the military's moniker for rations. Cohen, the Tennessee representative, also referenced the inclusion of large numbers of National Guard members. 'They'll have to take time from their jobs. And are they being paid by the state extra for this time as being in the National Guard? That's another expense,' he said. The Army is also looking into potential lodgings — like hotel rooms or furnished apartments — to house 280 personnel from June 12 to 16 and another 275 personnel from June 13 to 16 near the National Mall. These people will, however, eschew MREs for more sumptuous victuals: a hot breakfast, a bag lunch, and a hot dinner, according to a request for information issued by the Army earlier this month. Smith said she did not have details about this effort. Hagan, the other Army spokesperson, did not have a more granular breakdown of other parade costs. Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron at the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Élysées Avenue in Paris on July 14, 2017. Photo: Eliot Blondet/Sipa USA via AP Images Trump has Fixated on military parades for decades — and has repeatedly found himself mired in controversy as a result. When he was merely a real estate developer and New York City gadfly, his involvement with the Nation's Parade, celebrating the Second World War's 50th anniversary in 1995, sullied 'an otherwise positive day,' according to the New York Times. As reporter Robert McFadden observed at the time: 'Many veterans were angry that organizers had agreed to name Mr. Trump, who is not a veteran, as grand marshal in exchange for his contribution of $200,000 and help in raising additional funds.' In 2017, during his first term, Trump watched the Bastille Day parade in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and returned home obsessed with staging his own défilé militaire. Plans for a 2018 parade were postponed after local officials in Washington, D.C., raised concerns about damage to the capital city's streets, the Pentagon tossed up additional roadblocks, and public reports of the estimated $92 million price tag caused the White House to retreat. '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,' Trump groused in a tweet at the time. 'Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN.' A top aide to then-Defense Secretary James Mattis wrote that the former general privately said he would 'rather swallow acid' than watch Trump's military spectacle. Trump seems to have learned lessons from past parade problems and has been deflecting talk of June 14 being a festival in his honor. 'Your birthday's coming up,' NBC News's Kristen Welker said during a wide-ranging interview with Trump earlier this month. 'Yeah,' the president responded. 'And there are reports that you're looking into the possibility of a military —' said Welker, with Trump replying 'Yeah' as she said 'parade.' But the president immediately walked it back. 'Well, my birthday happens to be on Flag Day. So … I think they're talking about Flag Day. But I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday,' Trump went on. 'It's Flag Day, plus we're going to have different days. You know, if you look at Russia, they celebrate Victory Day.' Lavish spending on the military parade comes as the Trump administration is requesting $1 trillion for the Pentagon and pursuing massive cuts to nonmilitary programs like housing assistance, education initiatives, environmental programs, and foreign aid. Cohen reiterated the need to pass his Halting All Parades for Presidents' Yearly Birthdays; It Risks Taxpayer Harm, Damages, And Your (HAPPY BIRTHDAY) Budget Act, which he introduced last month. 'The egotist-in-chief wants taxpayers to foot the bill for a military parade on his birthday. This would be an unprecedented waste of money to please this self-absorbed con man,' said Cohen, whose legislation would bar public funds from being used for presidential birthday parades. 'It also sends the message that Trump is not a king, and we don't pay tribute to tyrants.' Despite their opposition to Trump's military spectacular, both Cohen and Blumenthal emphasized their appreciation for the military. 'I strongly support celebrating the Army's 250 years of service and sacrifice, but in a more appropriate way,' said the senator. 'We all appreciate the Army. We all appreciate the soldiers. We appreciate the veterans. We don't have to have this parade to do that,' Cohen told The Intercept. 'Even if the parade costs $45 million, that's a lot of money. And that could feed a lot of kids who are losing SNAP payments,' said Cohen, referencing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps. 'So I think it's misprioritization of monies. And it just contributes to the whole idea of a fascist state with an authoritarian leader like Mussolini or Hitler.'
American Military News
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- American Military News
Army preps tanks for major DC military parade
The U.S. Army started preparations on Wednesday for transporting M1 Abrams tanks in Fort Cavazos, Texas, to Washington, D.C., for the upcoming military parade on June 14 in honor of Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. According to ABC News, U.S. officials confirmed that 28 M1 Abrams tanks will be sent to Washington, D.C., for the military parade. U.S. officials also announced that the tanks would be transported on trains later this month. In addition to the M1 Abrams tanks, ABC News reported that Stryker vehicles and Bradley Fighting Vehicles will also be featured in the military parade alongside World War II military vehicles, such as the Douglas C-47 transport aircraft, the M4 Sherman tank, and the P-51 Mustang fighter. The outlet noted that the military parade will also include Huey and Cobra helicopters, 34 horses, two mules, one dog, and one wagon. According to ABC News, Army officials have indicated that the 250th anniversary celebration is expected to cost between $25 million and $45 million. ABC News reported that the final cost of the events could be significantly higher when other factors such as security are included, especially since the U.S. Secret Service has labeled the military parade a 'national security special event.' READ MORE: Video: Trump confirms 'big, beautiful' military parade in DC In a Wednesday press release, America 250 announced that the 'grand military parade' will take place in Washington, D.C., on June 14 to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday. 'President Donald J. Trump will join veterans, active-duty troops, wounded warriors, Gold Star Families, and Patriotic Americans from across the country to celebrate our heroes who have protected our country through strength and selflessness,' America 250 said. 'The parade will trace the Army's evolution from the Revolutionary War through to the U.S. Army of Tomorrow,' America 250 added. 'Attendees will experience 250 years of Army heritage through historical U.S. Army personnel reenactors, period-accurate equipment, vehicles, impressive flyovers, and military bands participating in this landmark event.' According to ABC News, U.S. officials told reporters that the heavy military equipment that will be featured in the upcoming military parade will be staged at West Potomac Park prior to the parade. The outlet noted that the parade itself will take place on Constitution Avenue and will conclude near the White House. ABC News reported that the Army's Golden Knights Parachute Team will be featured at the Ellipse and that one of the parachutists will present Trump with a folded American flag. Following the conclusion of the military parade, the president is expected to administer the oath of enlistment to roughly 250 Army recruits, according to ABC News.
