At a time when the White House has been calling for tightening of purse strings, the U.S. Army's controversial 250th birthday parade last month cost taxpayers $30 million, according to an Army spokesperson. The June 14 parade, which coincided with President Trump's 79th birthday, included 6,700 troops, 50 aircraft, and 150 vehicles.
The parade drew criticism due to it appearing to be a birthday parade for the president, and because it could be perceived as involving the military in partisan politics. There was also controversy because the cost was estimated to be somewhere between $25 and 45 million during a time in which the president was attempting to cut government costs.
The $30 million price tag for the event given by the Army does not include security for the parade, such as the 18 miles of fencing that were installed along the parade route. The parade drew out millions of protesters for what was dubbed "No King's Day."
"We conducted the parade for a very specific reason because we saw it as our opportunity to introduce or to continue introducing America’s Army to the American people. We wanted Americans to feel connected to their Army," Army spokesman Steve Warren told Stars and Stripes.
The Pentagon also promised to pay for any repairs that needed to be done to the roads, which may have been damaged by heavy military vehicles during the parade, but that damage was reportedly minimal.