President Donald Trump has been steadily bulking up the annual Fourth of July celebration on the Mall, inserting himself aggressively into the planning process and demanding military displays of strength, including a flyover by the Navy’s Blue Angels.
Now, he’s decided that he also wants tanks.
According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon is mulling whether or not to let Trump have the vehicles, some of which exceed 60 tons and could do damage to the streets.
Trump has also eschewed the usual practice of hiring an event producer, diving into much of the minutiae — like from where to launch the exorbitant fireworks display — himself.
He has been eager for such a display, punctuated with military imagery, ever since witnessing the Bastille Day celebration in France back in 2017.
