WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his upcoming “Salute to America” event — a ramped up July 4th celebration in Washington — amid criticism of its likely high price tag and potentially partisan undertones
The cost of our great Salute to America tomorrow will be very little compared to what it is worth. We own the planes, we have the pilots, the airport is right next door (Andrews), all we need is the fuel. We own the tanks and all. Fireworks are donated by two of the greats. Nice!” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.
Facts First: The White House and federal agencies involved in the Salute to America event declined to provide cost estimates, so it’s impossible to determine the exact price tag. Still, it’s safe to say that the costs incurred by the federal government as well as the city of Washington DC and other regional economies will be in the millions of dollars, and go well beyond the cost of fuel and include security and logistical costs. In addition, many of the planes are coming from much farther than “right next door.”
The involvement of military assets — from fighter jets to tanks to armored vehicles — has created logistical headaches that are likely to take lots of money to resolve. But beyond the military demonstrations, Trump’s planned presence on the National Mall will likely rack up huge security costs that go beyond what a traditional July 4th event requires.
View the complete July 3 article by Sarah Westwood and Ryan Browne on the CNN website here.