Report: Military parade planned for Veterans Day
President Donald Trump has reportedly directed the Department of Defense to plan his proposed military parade to march from the White House to the Capitol on Nov. 11 – Veterans Day, according to a memo written by national security adviser H.R. McMaster.
The memo, which was summarized to Politico by a senior administration official, was sent from McMaster to Defense Secretary James Mattis. It states the president wants Mattis to brief him on the "concepts of operation for this event."
Trump first asked the Pentagon last month to begin planning the parade, an idea that came to him after seeing France's Bastille Day celebration last summer when he was a guest of French President Emmanuel Macron. Officials in the administration say plans haven't moved further than the brainstorming stages.
Now, however, the memo clearly states officials are moving forward with the plan and a potential date has been set. Although the president has been unwavering in his desire for a parade, officials are concerned about cost and the feasibility. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney estimated the event could cost between $10 million and $30 million. Additionally, some lawmakers have expressed concern about how such a display would make the U.S. look.
Although Macron was a participant in France's parade, riding in an open-top military vehicle alongside the former chief of the French armed forces with military men on horseback, it is unclear if Trump will participate in America's parade.
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