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President Trump has been talking for years about organizing a patriotic parade in Washington and said Sunday that something like that would happen at a July 4th "rally" at Lincoln Memorial.
"Hold the date!" Mr. Trump says in a tweet about the event, which, he said, would be called "A salute in America".
The president, who also likes to organize rallies for his supporters, added that the celebration would include a "big fireworks, entertainment and a speech by your favorite president, me!"
Mr. Trump has long stated that he wants to hold a demonstration of US military might, evoking a parade on Pennsylvania Avenue or a Veterans Day show. He had the idea after attending a parade on July 14 on the Champs-Elysees in 2017, but was stuck last year by huge costs that made his vision too expensive.
It was not clear whether the Independence Day celebration, which he had announced on Sunday, would include any parade, or an exhibition of tanks, aircrafts and fighter jets. troops.
On social networks, critics interrogates how would the event be different from Mr. Trump's campaign rallies and accused him of take credit for a celebration of Independence Day this is happening on the National Mall every year.
"It is unfortunate that Donald Trump has decided to divert Capitol IV, a non-political organization already planned, to honor himself with a rally", VoteVets, a group of progressive veterans, said on Twitter. "If it means that the army is scrolling to strengthen its ego, we will do everything we can to stop it."
Mr. Trump said at a meeting of his White House cabinet this month that he was considering "a rally, as opposed to a parade, I guess you have to say it."
He appealed to David Bernhardt, Acting Secretary of the Interior, whose department oversees the National Parks Service, to help plan it. "David, you're dealing with it, and we'll see how it goes with schedules and all the rest," Trump told reporters. meeting.
On Sunday, Mr Trump said the event would take place, but few details were available. In a statement released Sunday, the Interior Ministry said the National Park Service "was working diligently to provide the President with a plan for Salvation in America," adding, "For the moment everything is pre-decision-making" .
Jim Mattis, the former defense secretary, objected to the US military marching in the footsteps of Constitution Avenue, flanked by tanks and fighter jets. The Department of Defense estimated the cost of the Veterans Day parade at $ 92 million last year, which caused the White House to be astonished and prompted Mr. Trump to comply with his order.
At his meeting at the White House, Mr. Trump said he had already found savings: "free" fireworks. The event would coincide with the National Parks Service's annual fireworks, which disbursed $ 270,000 for an 18-minute show last year.
Mr. Trump seemed to like the idea of a military parade since the early days of his presidency. The committee planning its The inaugural ceremony would have explored, but rejected, using military equipment in the traditional Capitol parade at the White House.
In July 2017, Mr. Trump witnessed the splendor of a military parade at the annual July 14 celebration in Paris. He could be seen gesticulating and whispering at the elaborate presentation of tanks, soldiers on horseback and military jets flying over his head.
"We will have to try to overtake him," he said.
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