View source for Planned 2018 Washington Veterans Day Parade

{{short description|Cancelled military parade}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}[[File:Bastille Day Parade 170714-D-PB383-005 (35087624434).jpg|thumb|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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Martinez |first2=Luis |last3=Mallin |first3=Alexander |date=16 August 2018 |title=Trump's military parade is postponed until 2019 |language=en |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-military-parade-estimated-cost-92-million/story?id=57218363 |accessdate=17 August 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Clark |first=Dartunorro |date=August 17, 2018 |title=Trump cancels military parade, blames D.C. officials for high cost |work=[[NBC News]] |publisher= |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna901576}}</ref>
== Background ==
The parade was expected to include members of all five armed services; the [[United States Army|Army]], [[United States Navy|Navy]], [[United States Air Force|Air Force]], [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] and the [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]], with other units that were to be dressed in period uniforms representing earlier times in the United States military history.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/trump-military-parade-plans-unravel-over-costs|title=Trump military parade plans unravel over costs|date=2018-08-18|work=Fox News|access-date=2018-08-19|language=en-US}}</ref> A memo from [[Joseph Dunford|General Joseph Dunford]] reported that the parade was to have focused on historic battles and conflicts such as the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] and the [[War of 1812]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://abc7news.com/politics/trumps-military-parade-could-cost-$12-million-official/3783554/|title=Trump's military parade could cost $12 million: Official|date=2018-07-18|work=ABC7 San Francisco|access-date=2018-08-20|language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.ausa.org/news/details-emerging-dc-veterans-day-parade|title=Details Emerging on D.C. Veterans Day Parade|date=2018-03-12|work=Association of the United States Army|access-date=2018-08-20|language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Superville |first=Darlene |date=2018-03-10 |title=Trump getting Washington military parade but no tanks |url=https://apnews.com/article/ab34c99192084dad9f46ce19994a2731 |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref name="nola.com">{{cite web |last=Nobles |first=Wilborn P. III |date=July 21, 2018 |title=Trump's military parade expected to have over 7,000 troops: report |url=https://www.nola.com/nation_world/trumps-military-parade-expected-to-have-over-7-000-troops-report/article_64ab3483-1d03-5142-bc37-6601749c6f3f.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721112419/https://articles.nola.com/national_politics/2018/07/trumps_military_parade_expecte.amp |archive-date=July 21, 2018 |access-date=July 22, 2018 |publisher=}}</ref> U.S. President Donald Trump would have been situated in a reviewing area and surrounded by military heroes.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Campbell |first1=Barbara |last2=Chappell |first2=Bill |date=August 16, 2018 |title=No Military Parade For Trump In D.C. This Year; Pentagon Looking At Dates In 2019 |language=en |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/639435987/no-veterans-day-military-parade-this-year-dod-looking-at-dates-in-2019 |access-date=2018-08-19}}</ref> [[Medal of Honor]] recipients would have been included in reviewing the parade with the President and would have marched in the parade.<ref name=":2" />
The parade would also have coincided with the 100th anniversary of the end of [[World War I]].<ref name=":1" /> It was to have been the first full scale parade in the nation's capital since [[National Victory Celebration|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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Adamczyk |first=Ed |date=2018-08-17 |title=Trump slams D.C. officials for parade's 'ridiculous' $92M price tag |language=en |work=United Press International, Inc |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/08/17/Trump-slams-92M-tab-for-canceled-Veterans-Day-parade-in-Washington/2111534512756/?rc_fifo=1 |access-date=2018-08-17}}</ref> 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!"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45225102|title=Trump cancels military parade over costs|date=2018-08-17|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-08-17|language=en-GB}}</ref>
In spite of Trump's statements, Budget Director [[Mick Mulvaney]] claimed that the cancellation was not just for reasons of cost.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mulvaney on canceled military parade: It wasn't just the money|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/19/mulvaney-trump-military-parade-788157|first= Rebecca |last =Morin|date=August 19, 2018|publisher=[[Politico]]}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liptak |first=Kevin |date=2018-11-09 |title=Trump jets to Paris, leaving political tumult behind |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/09/politics/donald-trump-paris-trip/index.html |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=CNN Politics |publisher=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Liptak |first=Kevin |last2=Collins |first2=Kaitlan |author-link2=Kaitlan Collins |date=2018-11-11 |title=Trump’s Paris trip marked by missed moments – and a dire warning |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/11/politics/donald-trump-macron-nationalism-paris-armistice/index.html |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=CNN Politics |publisher=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-17 |title=Trump cancels military parade, will go to Paris instead |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/us-president-donald-trump-cancels-military-parade-will-go-to-paris-instead/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=[[Politico]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Cost ==
A Pentagon official estimated the cost of the parade between $3 million and $50 million, earlier in 2018.<ref name="nola.com" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/estimated-5000-7000-service-members-march-trumps-military/story?id=56715855|title=5,000 to 7,000 service members to march in Trump's military parade: Source|last=McLaughlin|first=Elizabeth|date=July 20, 2018|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bowden |first=John |date=20 July 2018 |title=Thousands of service members to participate in Trump's military parade: report |url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/398109-thousands-of-service-members-to-participate-in-trumps-military-parade-report/ |website=The Hill |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/09/592528659/trumps-military-parade-is-set-for-veterans-day|title=Trump's Military Parade Is Set For Veterans Day|website=NPR |date=March 9, 2018 |publisher=|last1=Campbell |first1=Barbara }}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington-dc/articles/2018-08-16/official-says-trumps-military-parade-would-cost-about-92m|title=Pentagon Delays Trump's Military Parade Until at Least 2019|last=Baldor|first=Lolita|date=August 16, 2018|website=U.S. News|access-date=August 17, 2018}}</ref> The $92 million estimate was to be divided between the [[United States Department of Defense|Defense Department]] and the [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]], which would have contributed $50 million and $42 million respectively.<ref name=":0" />
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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-18 |title=The Latest: Trump blames DC for military parade cancellation |url=https://apnews.com/article/8c489851b8714cab83210bf6812829d4 |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
== Opinion of parade ==
=== Support ===
In February 2017, very few lawmakers backed the idea of a military parade. [[David Perdue|Senator David Perdue]], a Republican of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], told reporters "He's the President of the United States. Personally, I would prefer not to do it. But he's the president."<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Gibbons-Neff |first=Thomas |date=February 7, 2018 |title=Trump Wants a Military Parade. But Not Everyone Is in Step. |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/us/politics/trump-military-parade-america.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=2018-08-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104114344/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/us/politics/trump-military-parade-america.html |archive-date=4 January 2019}}</ref> Senator [[Lindsey Graham]], a Republican of [[South Carolina]], supported the parade if it honored the military itself, and not the  "...[[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-style hardware display."<ref name=":3" />
[[AMVETS]], a group that advocates for military veterans, felt that potentially the parade would inspire more Americans to join the armed forces.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Welna |first=David |date=February 7, 2018 |title=Veterans Are Divided On Response To Trump's Desire For Military Parade |language=en |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/02/07/584059931/veterans-are-divided-on-response-to-trumps-desire-for-military-parade |access-date=2018-08-24}}</ref>
=== Against ===
Other politicians spoke out against the parade. Representative [[Adam Smith (Washington politician)|Adam Smith]], a Democrat of [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and members of the [[United States House Committee on Armed Services|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 [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian regimes]] do, not democracies."<ref name=":3" /> Senator [[John Kennedy (Louisiana politician)|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.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Gomez |first=Luis |date=8 February 2018 |title=What veterans in San Diego and elsewhere think of a Trump military parade |language=en-US |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/the-conversation/sd-trump-military-parade-has-put-america-odds-20180208-htmlstory.html |access-date=2018-08-24}}</ref>
[[Robert J. O'Neill (U.S. Navy SEAL)|Robert O'Neill]], a former [[United States Navy SEALs|Navy SEAL]], tweeted in February 2018 that any military parade would be "...third world bullshit."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://twitter.com/mchooyah/status/961644132119859200|title=Robert J. O'Neill on Twitter|work=Twitter|access-date=2018-08-24|language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":5" /> A veteran of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|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.<ref name=":4" />
==See also==
*[[Grand Review of the Armies]]
*[[National Victory Celebration]]
*[[New York at War]]
*[[New York City Victory Parade of 1946]]
*[[Salute to America (disambiguation)|Salute to America]]
*[[Veterans Day Parade (New York City)]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:2018 in military history|Washington Veterans Day Parade]]
[[Category:Cancelled events in the United States]]
[[Category:Military parades in the United States]]
[[Category:November 2018 events in the United States]]
[[Category:First presidency of Donald Trump]]
[[Category:Trump administration controversies]]