Donors can secure a “dedicated VIP experience” at upcoming military events for President Donald Trump, including a proposed large-scale parade on his birthday.
Supporters who contribute to America250, a nonprofit planning events to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, are being offered exclusive access to Trump-backed events this summer, The Wall Street Journal reported.
That includes a massive parade to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary featuring dozens of tanks, thousands of marching troops, and military aircraft flying over Washington, D.C., planned for June 14, the day the president turns 79.
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The VIP treatment will also extend to a “readiness demonstration” involving thousands of troops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on June 10, as well as a July 4 Independence Day bash in Washington, D.C.
Details such as how much donors will need to fork over to take part in the “VIP experience” are unclear.
A source close to the planning told the Daily Beast that donors and special guests will be greeted upon arrival at the events and provided preferred seating.
Trump is facing criticism over the planned military parade.
One issue is the major expense such an event would cost—reported to be between $25 million and $45 million—which taxpayers will have to stump for. That doesn’t include extras like fixing tank-damaged roads or the hefty post-event cleanup.
Critics have also questioned the motivation behind the show of force.
“As an Army veteran myself, I’m proud of the Army’s birthday,” Naveed Shah, political director of veterans group Common Defense, told The Washington Post. “But this parade seems like it’s all about the president’s ego rather than the troops who sacrifice everything to serve our country.”
The White House defended the military parade in a statement to the Daily Beast.
“There is no event grand enough to adequately capture our gratitude for the millions of heroes who laid down their lives defending our freedom, but this parade will be a fitting tribute to the service, sacrifice, and selflessness of all who have worn the uniform,” said White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly.
“The cost will be shared by the Department of the Army and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.”
Trump has denied that the parade is linked to his birthday and defended the cost as “peanuts compared to the value of doing it.”
“We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we’re going to celebrate it,” Trump said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Trump’s fixation with a military display dates back to his first term, reportedly inspired by a Bastille Day parade he witnessed in Paris in July 2017.
John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser and now a vocal critic of the president, said officials tried to explain that the U.S. doesn’t stage military parades “unless there is a reason.”
“The arguments that finally convinced him not to was that if you run tanks down the streets of Washington, you’re going to rip the streets up,” Bolton told the Journal.
“The cost and the repair and the discombobulation will irritate people, and it’ll be more trouble than it’s worth.”
Trump attempted a similar parade in 2018 but faced strong resistance from D.C. officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser.
