Because of course.
So I have to ask how many are excited about President Trump’s upcoming military parade?
The parade, something Trump envisioned after witnessing the Bastille Day parade in France, is due to take place in three months, showcasing a wide array of armored military vehicles, military aircraft flyovers, and troops marching in various period uniforms.
And yes. There will be Abrams tanks. After experts put study into the track pads and nearly 70 ton weight distribution, they determined that the streets of Washington could withstand tanks rolling by.
It sounds like a hoot, and not at all expensive.
I mean, under Trump, the economy is booming, and the tariffs aren’t hurting farmers or manufacturers, at all. We can totally afford the original estimate of $12 million to put on this homage to Trump’s greatness.
MAGA, everybody!
The last time there was a major military parade in Washington, it was in 1991, in celebration of the end of Operation Desert Storm.
It cost U.S taxpayers $8 million.
One could argue that the 1991 military parade was unnecessary, but at least it had a point and purpose.
We can’t really figure out why Trump’s military parade is necessary, other than to stroke his massive, but fragile ego. We just know it’s happening because nobody in Congress has the guts to tell him “NO.”
A new report from CNBC has a slight update that might be of interest to some, however.
According to an official who spoke with the network, the Department of Defense have recalculated and come to the conclusion that their original estimate of $12 million is a bit shy of the actual cost.
And by “a bit shy” I mean by tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.
The parade, slated for Nov. 10, is estimated to cost $92 million, the official said. The figure includes $50 million from the Pentagon and $42 million from interagency partners such as the Department of Homeland Security. An initial estimate last month pegged the prospective cost for the parade at $12 million.
The Pentagon is staying pretty mum, shuffling questions to the back, and assuring that there will be an announcement at some later date from the Defense Department.
I can only imagine how they will spin this. I don’t foresee anyone growing a spine and telling Trump he can’t have his parade.
The $92 million cost estimate includes security, transportation of parade assets, aircraft, as well as temporary duty, or TDY, for troops. The official also noted that while the size and scope of the military parade can still shift, the plans currently include approximately eight tanks, as well as other armored vehicles, including Bradleys, Strykers and M113s.
It’s an impressive show of might, and I’ll admit – it sounds awe-inspiring. I would watch this parade, and I pretty much take a “meh” approach to parades. They’ve never really been high on my list of sights to take in.
With all that, however, I don’t think this massively ballooning cost for this unnecessary display can be justified, given that there are people doing without in this nation, right now, including homeless veterans.
Maybe take that $92 million and invest it in provisions for those who have served and now are without?
That, more than any military show, would impress me the most.
