On top of the unprecedented chaos oozing from President Trump’s last-minute “Salute to America” Independence Day show, the federal government is swallowing a hefty tab for Trump’s military equipment sideshow.
According to the Washington Post, the National Park Service is transferring $2.5 million of its funds intended to be used to improve and upgrade parks around the country in order to help with the bill. Two people familiar with the matter told the Post the funds were transferred Tuesday.
According to budget documents reviewed by the Post, the funds are typically used to enhance the tourism experience at the National Mall and other smaller parks around the U.S. Projects include upgrades like restoring habitats and improving park infrastructure, according to the Post.
Trump’s been criticized across the board for using the military and a typically non-partisan event in the nation’s capitol for political purposes, but the White House said Tuesday that the event “will not be political.”
In a tweet on Wednesday morning, Trump bragged about the extravagance of the upcoming affair, calling it “the show of a lifetime!”
Our July 4th Salute to America at the Lincoln Memorial is looking to be really big. It will be the show of a lifetime!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2019
Read more about the frenzy President Trump’s July 4th show has sparked here.
