Secretary of Defense James Mattis has waved away estimates that Trump’s planned military parade (which has now been postponed until 2019) would cost upwards of $90 million, saying such estimates are certainly exaggerated.
Here’s what Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said in response to reports that the Veterans Day military parade would cost $92 million #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/FtXxCBF4Oq
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) August 17, 2018
Mattis said that, ultimately, President Donald Trump will be the one who signs off on whether or not there will be a parade in the future.
But when presented with claims that the parade was canceled over a projected cost nearing nine figures, Mattis was blunt in his response: “Whoever told you that is probably smoking something that is legal in my state but not in most states, OK?”
President Trump appeared to contradict Mattis, saying on Friday that the parade had been canceled because “local politicians” were demanding too high a price for the parade he wanted to hold.
The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018
….attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018
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