Trump’s July 4th Salute to Trump
by digby
This is going to be a real clusterfuck:
Trump will deliver a speech from the Lincoln Memorial as part of a daylong series of events that includes a military-themed parade near the National Mall and flyovers featuring planes used for Air Force One, officials said.
“There is no more appropriate place to celebrate the anniversary of American independence than among the Nation’s monuments on the National Mall and the memorials to the service men and women who have defended the United States for the past 243 years,” Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said in a statement.
Trump’s address at the Lincoln Memorial, to be delivered at a “Salute to America” event at 6:30 p.m. on Independence Day, is designed “to honor America’s armed forces,” the Interior Department said.
The president, who pushed for new July Fourth events based on a military parade he saw in France, promoted the new holiday approach during his speech Tuesday announcing his re-election bid. He urged supporters in Orlando, Florida, to bring flags to the event.
More details:
Where will the fireworks be?
The traditional site for the holiday’s fireworks along the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been moved about 1,500 feet south to West Potomac Park, and the display will run from 9:07 p.m. to 9:27 p.m. An Interior Department spokeswoman said that there are plans to bring together the two companies producing the fireworks.
When is Trump expected to speak at the Lincoln Memorial?
The Salute to America, with music, military demonstrations and flyovers, is to take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The White House has not yet provided details on when the president will speak.
Will ‘A Capitol Fourth’ still go on in front of the U.S. Capitol?
Yes. The annual event, which airs on PBS, is unaffiliated with any other Fourth of July event. This year’s concert, which runs from 8 to 9:30 p.m., will feature songwriting legend Carole King, singer Vanessa Williams and the National Symphony Orchestra.
How much will the additional events cost the city and the federal government?
It is unclear how much the additional events will cost the city and the federal government. The city says that Trump still has not paid the District government more than $7 million for the 2017 inauguration, which cost the city $27.3 million.
What’s the history here? Who was the first president to celebrate July 4?
No president has been part of a Fourth of July celebration on the Mall in recent memory. President Ronald Reagan participated in a “Star Spangled Salute to America” at the Jefferson Memorial on July 3, 1987, the day before the holiday. Presidents George Washington and John Adams attended celebrations in various towns around the country.
Babies and kids are going without diapers and soap in squalid concentration camps at the border. But we’re going to blow tens of millions of dollars on this ridiculous pageant so Trump can feel like a real dictator.
I really hope the networks give this the attention it deserves. Which is none.
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