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The Pentagon Spent $1.2 M on Trump’s Fourth of July Celebration

The Defense Department said that spending for personnel involvement and demonstrations came largely from their training budgets.

The Pentagon said that it cost an extra $1.2 million to put on its portion of President Trump’s “Salute to America” program in Washington, D.C. on the Fourth of July. Defense Department officials said Tuesday that spending for personnel involvement and demonstrations came largely from their training budgets. “The Department of Defense supported the ‘Salute to America’ with demonstrations by aircraft, static displays of equipment, and ceremonial unit participation,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “Funding for the demonstrations came from the military services’ training budgets that facilitate flying hours, which are imperative to military readiness. Additional funding was used for the transportation of static displays and equipment.” While the White House has yet to disclose details regarding the cost of the event, a trio of Democratic senators have demanded that the Government Accountability Office investigate how much the final bill will cost taxpayers. Trump announced Monday that he plans to repeat the event again next year.