White House still silent about Trump's plans for July 4th celebrations

JUNE 12, 2019 / 7:41 AM / AP

With just over three weeks to go, exactly what's going to happen in Washington on the Fourth of July remains a subject of intense confusion.

Will the nation's premier Independence Day celebration be centered on the National Mall as usual or shift to the Lincoln Memorial, as the White House has reportedly requested? Will President Donald Trump follow through on his plans to give a speech? And if he does, will the speech be open to anyone — including protesters — or will the White House somehow restrict his audience to Trump supporters at the traditionally nonpolitical event?

The White House hasn't revealed its plans. The National Park Service, which is primarily responsible for the event, has also gone silent. That leaves the city government, which helps with security, in the dark.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia's representative in Congress, said interdepartmental planning meetings for July 4 usually begin up to three months in advance. But to her knowledge, none of those meetings has happened.

"The city is scrambling to figure out what to do, because all they have is the outline of what (the White House) wants," Norton said. She said she approached the Park Service for details but: "They wouldn't tell us a thing. You know why? Because they don't know a thing."

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