A new report claims that President Donald Trump’s administration is holding initial discussions regarding a potential military parade in Washington, D.C., as part of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary celebration on June 14.
According to The Associated Press, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Monday that the Trump administration had contacted the city about potentially holding a parade on June 14 that would start in Arlington, Virginia, and conclude in Washington, D.C.
The Associated Press reported that an anonymous defense official confirmed that the U.S. Army has held preliminary discussions regarding a potential parade as part of the military service’s 250th anniversary celebration on June 14, which also marks the 47th president’s 79th birthday. However, in a statement obtained by the outlet, the White House said, “No military parade has been scheduled.”
Additionally, Col. David Butler, an Army spokesman, provided a statement, saying, “It’s too early to say yet whether or not we’re having a parade but we’re working with the White House as well as several government agencies to make the celebration a national level event.”
READ MORE: US hosting Military World Games for first time
While Bowser told reporters on Monday that she was not sure if the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration was being “characterized as a military parade,” she warned that having U.S. military tanks on the streets of D.C. “would not be good.”
Bowser told reporters, “If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads.”
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, Arlington County Board Chair Takis Karantonis noted that the U.S. Secret Service contacted Arlington County last Friday “regarding the possibility of a military parade to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army, but no further details were offered.”
Karantonis told the Washington City Paper, “It’s not clear to me what the scope of a parade would be. But I would hope the federal government remains sensitive to the pain and concerns of numerous [military] veteran residents who have lost or might lose their jobs in recent federal decisions, as they reflect on how best to celebrate the Army’s anniversary.”
According to The Post Millennial, Trump previously planned to host a military parade in D.C. in 2018 but eventually canceled the plans after the parade was estimated to cost $92 million and local officials warned that the streets would be significantly damaged by military tanks and planes.
