The Veterans Day military parade that President Donald Trump hoped to stage to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day has been postponed, according to the Department of Defense. Meanwhile, the President said he canceled the parade because the price of the parade “was so ridiculously high.”
“The Department of Defense and White House have been planning a parade to honor America's military veterans and commemorate the centennial of World War I," Defense Department spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a statement Thursday. "We originally targeted Nov. 10, 2018 for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019.”
The parade, scheduled to be in Washington, was to feature armored vehicles, aircraft flyovers and soldiers parading in World War I-era uniforms, CNBC reported. The original cost of the parade was to be approximately $12 million and was based on the cost for the victory parade after the 1991 Gulf War, NBC News reported. The Washington Post estimated the cost of that parade at $8 million.
In February, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told Congress the price could be between $10 million to $30 million.
However, CNBC reported that the expected cost had risen to $92 million.
Trump tweeted early Friday that the price he was given for the parade "was so ridiculously high" that he canceled it.
"Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN," Trump tweeted. "Now we can buy some more jet fighters!"
President Emmanuel Macron of France is hosting world leaders in Paris on Nov. 11 to celebrate the anniversary, CNN reported. Trump said he was inspired to host a similar parade in Washington after viewing the Bastille Day parade in Paris in 2017, CNN reported.
About the Author
