Military parade delayed after $92M estimate
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defence Department said Thursday that the Veterans Day military parade ordered by President Donald Trump won’t happen in 2018.
Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, said the military and the White House “have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019.”
The announcement came several hours after reports that the parade would cost about $92 million US, according to U.S. officials citing preliminary estimates more than three times the price first suggested by the White House.
According to the officials, roughly $50 million would cover Pentagon costs for aircraft, equipment, personnel and other support for a November parade in Washington. The remainder would be borne by other agencies and largely involve security costs.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss early planning estimates that have not been finalized or released publicly. The estimate was first reported by CNBC.
Officials said the plans had not yet been approved by U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.
Mattis himself said late Thursday that he had seen no such estimate and questioned the media reports.
The Pentagon chief told reporters travelling with him to Bogota, Colombia, that whoever leaked the number to the press was “probably smoking something that is legal in my state but not in most” — a reference to his home state of Washington, where marijuana use is legal.
He added: “I’m not dignifying that number [$92 million] with a reply. I would discount that, and anybody who said [that number], I’ll almost guarantee you one thing: They probably said: ‘I need to stay anonymous.’ No kidding, because you look like an idiot. And No. 2, whoever wrote it needs to get better sources. I’ll just leave it at that.”
The parade’s cost, which was confirmed by multiple officials, has become a politically charged issue, particularly after the Pentagon cancelled a major military exercise planned for August with South Korea, in the wake of Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump said the drills were provocative and that dumping them would save the U.S. “a tremendous amount of money.” The Pentagon later said the Korea drills would have cost $14 million.
One veterans group weighed in Thursday against the parade. “The American Legion appreciates that our president wants to show in a dramatic fashion our nation’s support for our troops,” National Commander Denise Rohan said. However, she added: “We think the parade money would be better spent fully funding the Department of Veteran Affairs and giving our troops and their families the best care possible.”
Trump decided he wanted a military parade in Washington after he attended France’s Bastille Day celebration in the centre of Paris last year. As the invited guest of French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump watched enthusiastically from a reviewing stand as the French military showcased its tanks and fighter jets, including many U.S.made planes, along the famed Champs-Élysées.
Several months later Trump praised the French parade, saying, “We’re going to have to try and top it.”