President Donald Trump’s elaborate Fourth of July celebration could potentially cause some serious damage to Washington streets, but city council says they plan on sending the repair bill right to the federal government, NBC News reported.
Council is particularly concerned about Trump’s decision to bring tanks into the city for his “Salute to America” event and what potential damage these could cause to roads and bridges.
On Monday, Trump announced his elaborate plans to celebrate Independence Day.
He made clear his intentions to have military tanks on display while he delivers his speech from the Lincoln Memorial.
“I’m going to be here and I’m going to say a few words and we’re going to have planes going overhead, the best fighter jets in the world and other planes too and we’re gonna have some tanks stationed outside,” Trump said .
It’s the price tag that comes with the massive celebration that has many people concerned.
According to CBC News , it costs $122,311 an hour to fly a B-2 stealth bomber, which is planned for the event. An F-22 fighter jet costs $65,128 per hour, and Trump plans on having several appear at the ceremony.
On Wednesday, Trump tweeted out a reassurance to any concerned citizens that the “cost of our great salute to America tomorrow will be very little compared to what it is worth.”
Trump also posted a series of promotional tweets for the celebration, which he dubbed one of the biggest “in the history of our Country.”
His original plan for the event was to hold a parade with military tanks and other machinery rolling through downtown Washington, inspired by a two-hour procession of French military tanks and fighter jets in Paris on Bastille Day in 2017. However, these plans would have cost upwards of $90 million, so Trump was forced to scale back a bit.
Although the tanks are still going to be used in the celebration, Trump acknowledged the damage these could cause.
“You’ve got to be pretty careful with the tanks because the roads have a tendency not to like to carry heavy tanks,” he said. “So we have to put them in certain areas.”
He did not, however, mention how much it cost to have the tanks shipped to Washington by rail, or the additional cost of protecting the machinery, among other things.
Then, of course, there’s the cost of any damage caused by these massive military machines.
Washington’s city council has made it very clear that they do not support Trump’s military-style July 4th celebration.
On July 1, city council tweeted out a message to Trump discouraging the use of tanks at the event, and also included guidance from the Defense Department concerning a veterans’ event in November last year. This explicitly states that “no tanks” should be used in order to “avoid damage to local infrastructure.”
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Some city officials have expressed concern that the tank tracks will seriously damage Washington roads.
But it’s not just the streets officials are concerned about.
Arlington Memorial Bridge, spanning the Potomac River and connected Arlington National Cemetery the Lincoln Memorial, may not be able to hold the weight of the armored tanks rolling across it.
Trump’s tank plans are confirmed to still very much part of the celebration, and Washington has made it very clear who’s footing the bill for any damage.
Kevin Donahue, the city’s deputy mayor for public safety, told the Associated Press that civil engineers will be on scene following the event to asses roads and bridges. They will then determine whether or not Trump’s elaborate military-style celebration caused any damage.
Donahue said the city had no choice but to accept the tanks and other equipment planned for “Salute to America.”
He admitted city doesn’t have the jurisdiction to reject the use of such machinery.
However, they do expect the federal government to pay for any damage caused to the city in bringing the military vehicles to the celebration.
Some have accused Trump of using the Independence Day celebration as a campaign tactic.
“He’s taking an America — a national — holiday and making it about himself,” Virginia Democratic Representative Gerald E. Conolly said. “And that is fundamentally wrong.”
He said some of his constituents are planning to skip the celebration and attend parades and fireworks in other parts of the area this year.
