Planned 2018 Washington Veterans Day Parade

Last updated

The inspiration for a military parade in the United States was based in part to Trump's attendance at the 2017 Bastille Day military parade (seen here). Bastille Day Parade 170714-D-PB383-005 (35087624434).jpg
The inspiration for a military parade in the United States was based in part to Trump's attendance at the 2017 Bastille Day military parade (seen here).

The 2018 Washington Veterans Day Parade (colloquially called "Trump's military parade") was a planned military parade that would have taken place in Washington, D.C., on November 10, 2018, in honor of the Veterans Day holiday (which took place on 11 November). On August 16, 2018, it was announced that the military parade would be postponed until 2019. [1] In cancelling the parade for 2018, President Donald Trump cited the projected high costs for the parade, which he blamed on D.C. city officials. [2]

Contents

Background

The parade was expected to include members of all five armed services; the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, with other units that were to be dressed in period uniforms representing earlier times in the United States military history. [3] A memo from General Joseph Dunford reported that the parade was to have focused on historic battles and conflicts such as the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. [4] Between 5,000 and 7,000 service members were to have taken part in the parade, which was to begin at the U.S. Capitol and end at the White House. The evolution of women in the service was also to be highlighted in the parade, along with an emphasis on the price of freedom. [5] The parade would have included 100 wheeled vehicles instead of tanks, as well as a heavy air component featuring 50 aircraft at the end of the parade. [6] [7] U.S. President Donald Trump would have been situated in a reviewing area and surrounded by military heroes. [8] Medal of Honor recipients would have been included in reviewing the parade with the President and would have marched in the parade. [5]

The parade would also have coincided with the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. [8] It was to have been the first full scale parade in the nation's capital since 1991 involving the men and women of the active and reserve components of the United States Armed Forces and veterans' organizations and the first national Veterans' Day parade in years. U.S. President Donald Trump requested the military parade following his admiration of the Bastille Day military parade at the Champs-Élysées in Paris which he attended in 2017.

Cancellation of 2018 parade

On August 17, 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he canceled the parade due to the "ridiculous" $92 million price tag. [9] Through Twitter he blamed local politicians for the price and suggested hosting another parade in 2019, and ended his tweets with; "Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters!" [10]

In spite of Trump's statements, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney claimed that the cancellation was not just for reasons of cost. [11]

After the parade was canceled, Trump confirmed that he would instead "go to the Paris parade" on November 11, referring to the commemorations there marking the anniversary of the end of World War I. [12] [13] [14]

Cost

A Pentagon official estimated the cost of the parade between $3 million and $50 million, earlier in 2018. [7] [15] [16] [17] Another suggestion of the cost was closer to $92 million, with at least $50 million being used to cover Pentagon costs for aircraft, equipment, personnel, and other support. This number was refuted by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis who stated; "I'm not dignifying that number ($92 million) with a reply." [18] The $92 million estimate was to be divided between the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security, which would have contributed $50 million and $42 million respectively. [9]

Separately DC City officials estimated expenses related to the parade would have been $21.6 million with an expectation for reimbursement from the Federal government, with the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser reporting that $13 million would have been used alone to cover police costs. [19]

Opinion of parade

Support

In February 2017, very few lawmakers backed the idea of a military parade. Senator David Perdue, a Republican of Georgia, told reporters "He's the President of the United States. Personally, I would prefer not to do it. But he's the president." [20] Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican of South Carolina, supported the parade if it honored the military itself, and not the "...Soviet-style hardware display." [20]

AMVETS, a group that advocates for military veterans, felt that potentially the parade would inspire more Americans to join the armed forces. [21]

Against

Other politicians spoke out against the parade. Representative Adam Smith, a Democrat of Washington and members of the House Armed Services Committee released a statement that highlighted "A military parade like this - one that is unduly focused on a single person - is what authoritarian regimes do, not democracies." [20] Senator John Kennedy, a Republican of Louisiana, told reporters "We're not North Korea, we're not Russia, and we're not China and I don't want to be", while speaking out against the proposed parade. [22]

Robert O'Neill, a former Navy SEAL, tweeted in February 2018 that any military parade would be "...third world bullshit." [23] Other military veterans echoed the sentiment with calls for the money to be spent on housing, employment and mental health care to better support the troops. [22] A veteran of the War in Afghanistan highlighted that it would seem unreasonable to hold a parade in celebration while a 19-year-old war (per 2020) was still ongoing. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Stars and Stripes</i> (newspaper) US military newspaper

Stars and Stripes is a daily American military newspaper reporting on matters concerning the members of the United States Armed Forces and their communities, with an emphasis on those serving outside the United States. It operates from inside the Department of Defense, but is editorially separate from it, and its First Amendment protection is safeguarded by the United States Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests, regularly reports. As well as a website, Stars and Stripes publishes a global daily print edition for U.S. military service members serving overseas Monday through Friday. This global edition is also available as a free download in electronic format. The newspaper has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Mattis</span> American retired general (born 1950)

James Norman Mattis is an American military veteran who served as the 26th United States secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. A retired Marine Corps four-star general, he commanded forces in the Persian Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military budget of the United States</span> Yearly spending of the United States military

The military budget of the United States is the largest portion of the discretionary federal budget allocated to the Department of Defense (DoD), or more broadly, the portion of the budget that goes to any military-related expenditures. The military budget pays the salaries, training, and health care of uniformed and civilian personnel, maintains arms, equipment and facilities, funds operations, and develops and buys new items. The budget funds six branches of the US military: the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bastille Day military parade</span> Military parades held throughout France on 14 July

The Bastille Day military parade, also known as the 14 July military parade, translation of the French name of Défilé militaire du 14 juillet, is a French military parade that has been held on the morning of Bastille Day, 14 July, each year in Paris since 1880, almost without exception. The parade passes down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées from Place Charles de Gaulle, centred around the Arc de Triomphe, to the Place de la Concorde, where the President stands, along with members of the Government, figures from the legislative branch, the Mayor of Paris, as well as foreign ambassadors to France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War on terror</span> Military campaign following 9/11 attacks

The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is a global counterterrorist military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks of 2001, and is the most recent global conflict spanning multiple wars. Some researchers and political scientists have argued that it replaced the Cold War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Wilkie</span> 10th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (born 1962)

Robert Leon Wilkie Jr. is an American lawyer and government official who served as the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2018 to 2021, during the Trump administration. He was previously Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness during the Trump administration, from November 2017 to July 2018. A Naval intelligence officer in the Reserve, he was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs in the administration of President George W. Bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Milley</span> U.S. Army general (born 1958)

Mark Alexander Milley is a retired United States Army general who last served as the 20th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2023. He previously served as the 39th chief of staff of the Army from August 14, 2015, to August 9, 2019, and held multiple command and staff positions in eight divisions and special forces throughout his military career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014</span> United States military Veterans Choice Act

The Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, also known as the Veterans Choice Act, is a United States public law that is intended to address the ongoing Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014. The law expanded the number of options veterans have for receiving care and granted the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs more power to fire senior executives. The Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014 began with the discovery that there was on-going systematic lying by the Veterans Health Administration about the wait times veterans experienced waiting to be seen by doctors. By June 5, 2014, Veterans Affairs internal investigations had identified a total of 35 veterans who had died while waiting for care in the Phoenix VHA system. Another audit determined that "more than 57,000 veterans waited at least 90 days to see a doctor, while another 63,000 over the last decade never received an initial appointment."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender people and military service</span>

Not all armed forces have policies explicitly permitting LGBT personnel. Generally speaking, Western European militaries show a greater tendency toward inclusion of LGBT individuals. As of 2022, more than 30 countries allow transgender military personnel to serve openly, such as Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United States. Cuba and Thailand reportedly allowed transgender service in a limited capacity.

The political positions of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, have frequently changed. Trump has been primarily called a protectionist on trade. He has also been called and calls himself a populist, semi-isolationist, nationalist and other political categories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trump wall</span> Expansion of the Mexico–US barrier under President Trump

The Trump wall, commonly referred to as "The Wall", is an expansion of the Mexico–United States barrier that started during the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump and was a critical part of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign platform leading up to the year's election. Throughout his campaign, Trump called for the construction of a border wall. He promised that Mexico would pay for the wall's construction, a claim rejected by then–Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto; all construction relied exclusively on U.S. funding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inauguration of Donald Trump</span> 58th United States presidential inauguration

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States marked the commencement of Trump's term as president and Mike Pence's term as vice president. An estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people attended the public ceremony held on Friday, January 20, 2017, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The event was the 58th presidential inauguration. Held in Washington, D.C., from January 17 to 21, 2017, inaugural events included concerts, the swearing-in ceremony, a congressional luncheon, parade, inaugural balls, and the interfaith inaugural prayer service. The inauguration was protested worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 United States federal hiring freeze</span> US government policy

The 2017 United States federal hiring freeze was instituted by the Presidential Memorandum signed by President Donald Trump on January 23, 2017. Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney ordered the hiring freeze lifted on April 12, 2017.

U.S. foreign policy during the presidency of Donald Trump (2017–2021) was noted for its unpredictability and reneging on prior international commitments, upending diplomatic conventions, embracing political and economic brinkmanship with most adversaries, and stronger relations with traditional allies. Trump's "America First" policy pursued nationalist foreign policy objectives and prioritized bilateral relations over multinational agreements. As president, Trump described himself as a nationalist while espousing views that have been characterized as isolationist, non-interventionist, and protectionist, although the "isolationist" label has been disputed, including by Trump himself, and periods of his political career have been described by the alternative term "semi-isolationist." He personally praised some populist, neo-nationalist, illiberal, and authoritarian governments, while antagonizing others, even as administration diplomats nominally continued to pursue pro-democracy ideals abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Esper</span> American politician and manufacturing executive (born 1964)

Mark Thomas Esper is an American politician and manufacturing executive who served as the 27th United States secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he had previously served as the 23rd U.S. secretary of the Army from November 2017 to July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender personnel in the United States military</span>

Transgender people have served or sought to serve in the United States military. The subject began to engender some political controversy starting with transgender service members being banned in 1960 and possibly earlier. This controversy came to a head in the 2010s and was subjected to relatively rapid changes for the next few years. As of 2021, transgender individuals are expressly permitted to serve openly as their identified gender. A brief timeline is as follows:

The following is a timeline of the presidency of Donald Trump during the third quarter of 2018, from July 1 to September 30, 2018. To navigate among quarters, see timeline of the Donald Trump presidency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Salute to America</span> 2019 event in Washington D.C.

The 2019 Salute to America was an event arranged by the Trump administration held on Independence Day, July 4, 2019, in Washington, D.C. It took place at the National Mall and included presentations of U.S. military vehicles, an address by President Donald Trump from the Lincoln Memorial, flyovers by military aircraft, and a fireworks display. The event occurred alongside pre-existing annual Independence Day events such as the National Independence Day Parade and the PBS-televised A Capitol Fourth concert. It was the first time a U.S. president had addressed a crowd at the National Mall on Independence Day in 68 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centenary of the Armistice of 11 November 1918</span>

The centenary of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 was an international series of events marking the 2018 anniversary of the armistice which ended hostilities in World War I. It concluded the series of commemorations marking the wider First World War centenary beginning in 2014. The date of the centenary was marked by numerous events were scheduled in conjunction with the series of related annual memorial days and also as part of commissions established for the purposes of marking the four year centenary of the First World War.

The first 100 days of the Joe Biden presidency began on January 20, 2021, the day Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States. The 100th day of his presidency ended on April 30. The first 100 days of a presidential term took on symbolic significance during Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term in office, and the period is considered a benchmark to measure the early success of a president. The 100th day of his presidency ended on April 30, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ McLaughlin, Elizabeth; Martinez, Luis; Mallin, Alexander (August 16, 2018). "Trump's military parade is postponed until 2019". ABC News. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  2. ↑ Clark, Dartunorro (August 17, 2018). "Trump cancels military parade, blames D.C. officials for high cost". NBC News .
  3. ↑ "Trump military parade plans unravel over costs". Fox News. August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Trump's military parade could cost $12 million: Official". ABC7 San Francisco. July 18, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Details Emerging on D.C. Veterans Day Parade". Association of the United States Army. March 12, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  6. ↑ Superville, Darlene (March 10, 2018). "Trump getting Washington military parade but no tanks". AP News. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Nobles, Wilborn P. III (July 21, 2018). "Trump's military parade expected to have over 7,000 troops: report". Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Campbell, Barbara; Chappell, Bill (August 16, 2018). "No Military Parade For Trump In D.C. This Year; Pentagon Looking At Dates In 2019". NPR. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Adamczyk, Ed (August 17, 2018). "Trump slams D.C. officials for parade's 'ridiculous' $92M price tag". United Press International, Inc. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Trump cancels military parade over costs". BBC News. August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  11. ↑ Morin, Rebecca (August 19, 2018). "Mulvaney on canceled military parade: It wasn't just the money". Politico.
  12. ↑ Liptak, Kevin (November 9, 2018). "Trump jets to Paris, leaving political tumult behind". CNN Politics. CNN. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  13. ↑ Liptak, Kevin; Collins, Kaitlan (November 11, 2018). "Trump's Paris trip marked by missed moments – and a dire warning". CNN Politics. CNN. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Trump cancels military parade, will go to Paris instead". Politico . August 17, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  15. ↑ McLaughlin, Elizabeth (July 20, 2018). "5,000 to 7,000 service members to march in Trump's military parade: Source". ABC News.
  16. ↑ Bowden, John (July 20, 2018). "Thousands of service members to participate in Trump's military parade: report". The Hill.
  17. ↑ Campbell, Barbara (March 9, 2018). "Trump's Military Parade Is Set For Veterans Day". NPR.
  18. ↑ Baldor, Lolita (August 16, 2018). "Pentagon Delays Trump's Military Parade Until at Least 2019". U.S. News. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  19. ↑ "The Latest: Trump blames DC for military parade cancellation". AP News. August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (February 7, 2018). "Trump Wants a Military Parade. But Not Everyone Is in Step" . The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  21. 1 2 Welna, David (February 7, 2018). "Veterans Are Divided On Response To Trump's Desire For Military Parade". NPR. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  22. 1 2 Gomez, Luis (February 8, 2018). "What veterans in San Diego and elsewhere think of a Trump military parade". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Robert J. O'Neill on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.