My contribution to his parade: Both a poster and commemorative video made in advance.

By Tom Squitieri
Published July 1, 2019

WASHINGTON ... The White House announced over the weekend that the sections of the mall closest to the Lincoln Memorial will be cordoned to permit individuals receiving tickets to be those facing Trump when he makes his remarks on the evening of July 4. The White House will distribute the tickets ...

The National Mall stretches from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol and contains the Reflecting Pool, the Washington Monument, the World War Two, Korean war and Vietnam war memorials, and many of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution.

The limited-access VIP area runs counter to the proclamation of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt when he announced on June 28 the agenda for Trump’s infusion in the July 4 celebration.

“For the first time in many years, the World War II Memorial and areas around the Reflecting Pool will be open for the public to enjoy a stunning fireworks display and an address by our Commander-in-Chief,” Bernhardt said. “We are excited to open these new areas so that more visitors may experience this year’s Independence Day celebration in our nation’s capital” ...

http://www.talkmedianews.com/pentagon-news-as-it-break-from-the-pentagon/2019/07/01/this-mall-was-your-mall-but-now-its-my-mall/

... "The type of armored tactical vehicles under consideration for this year’s Fourth of July celebration can weigh 60 tons or more, and some, such as Abrams tanks, have tracks that can be particularly damaging," the Post noted.

Trump was angered last year when his plans for a military parade were scrapped over similar concerns over damage that could be incurred.

"Trump has been fixated since early in his term with putting on a military-heavy parade or other celebration," the paper noted.

Three senior administration officials told the paper that Trump has "has demonstrated an unusual level of interest in this year’s Independence Day observance." The behavior stands in stark contrast to Trump's usual level of disinterest in important domestic and international issues ...

https://shareblue.com/trump-national-mall-tanks-july-4-salute/

BY JASON LEMON ON 7/1/19 AT 12:00 PM EDT

... "It's irresponsible to ask the National Park Service to absorb the costs of an additional and political event when there are so many unmet needs in the parks," Phil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, which represents current, former and retired Park Service employees and volunteers, said in a statement to The Washington Post.

"The men and women of the National Park Service have been asked to do more with less for too long," he continued. "Funds should be directed to the agency's highest needs such as operation of the parks and the maintenance backlog and should not be directed to support political objectives" ...

Although the total cost of the Independence Day event is not yet known, it comes at a time when the National Park Service faces a backlog of some $11 billion in maintenance. The Trump administration has also repeatedly called for cutting the National Park Service's budget, while also moving to eliminate key environmental protections for the lands set aside for conservation ...

https://www.newsweek.com/irresponsible-cost-donald-trump-jul-4-military-parade-1446858

Elly Yu

... questions still remain about the event, including whether or not tanks will be allowed on the National Mall, and who will need tickets ...

... Trump has asked to station tanks or other armored military vehicles on the Mall for his speech to the country, but .. details have not been finalized.

The event will also include a ticketed section close to the Lincoln Memorial, according to an official with the U.S. Secret Service, but it’s not yet clear how that .. will work, or who needs a ticket.

The Secret Service say “Salute to America” will be secured by the agency and that tickets and additional security screening will be required for the event. The agency deferred to the White House about the issue of ticketing. A spokesperson for the White House has said there will be a ticketed portion for VIPs and friends and family, but that “the entire event is open to the general public” and the general public area does not require tickets.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the National Park Service said the agency has received maps that show an area marked “general admission,” but that area also requires a ticket, which has prompted some confusion ...

https://wamu.org/story/19/07/01/tanks-tickets-confusion-remains-around-president-trumps-fourth-of-july-event/

Adam K. Raymond

... plans were scrapped last summer when it became clear that a parade would cost nearly $100 million and destroy the streets of Washington, D.C. But in February of this year, after some modifications, Trump announced a new idea: He’d co-opt the annual July 4 fireworks show on the National Mall to throw a “Salute to America,” complete with a rambling speech, military flyovers, and a Trump rally atmosphere ...

... House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told NBC News that Trump is making a “political rally” out of a day that should be for celebrating America and what it stands for ...

... The Salute to America is ... at the Lincoln Memorial, with other Independence Day events .. scheduled for other parts of Washington. The National Independence Day Parade will move down Constitution Avenue and the annual A Capitol Fourth concert will still take place on the west lawn of the Capitol. The PBS celebration will feature, among others, Vanessa Williams and Carole King, who made it clear .. that the event she’s participating in is NOT Trump’s ...

... The National Park Service has granted Code Pink permission to fly a “Baby Trump” float during the event. And the havoc Trump’s event is wreaking on D.C. residents might persuade a few more to come out and protest. The Arlington Memorial Bridge will be closed, Reagan National Airport will be closed for 75 minutes, and parks and waterways will be shut down ...

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/everything-we-know-about-trumps-july-4th-event.html

By Petula Dvorak
July 1 at 3:03 PM

Now he wants .. Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles as part of his insane, ego-fueled, overtly partisan “Salute to America” on July 4.

This latest edict .. represents another insult to .. the people who live and work here, sink roots and raise families, coach Little League and organize neighborhood block parties. We didn’t vote for Trump .. and we hate what he’s doing to our city.

... the Holiday Tribute to Himself .. has already stolen a precious summer weekend at place real Washingtonians treasure — Hains Point.

It’s a little island off the Mall ... It’s a local secret where tourists do not go. And this past weekend, no one was allowed to use it to bike or jog or fish because it is now a staging ground for Trump’s self-glorification ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/no-tanks-trump-real-washingtonians-arent-interested-in-your-party/2019/07/01/65d1575a-9c17-11e9-b27f-ed2942f73d70_story.html?utm_term=.ef75c58d8718

VoteVets, a nonprofit group founded in 2006 by Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, is organizing the effort ...

“It’s really a way to honor a family that, through multiple generations, has shown that the country is bigger than any one individual,” said Peter Kauffmann, vice chair of VoteVets and a Navy veteran. “July 4 has never been about who is president. The idea that Donald Trump can come in and sell VIP tickets so you can get good seats while the regular old people have to stay back from the area is antithetical to the whole idea of America.”

Trump is of course, the only US president who could conceivably be trolled by veterans distributing shirts celebrating a late Senator and war hero from his own political party ...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2019/jul/01/trump-news-live-today-ivanka-trump-july-4th-tanks-democrats-2020-latest-updates

Of course, they said I was weird but wished me a happy 4th and re-tweeted me.

By S.V. Date

WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump has hijacked what for decades had been a nonpolitical Independence Day celebration on the National Mall, packing his ticketed-event speech with political appointees and Republican donors.

The Republican National Committee has been offering major donors tickets to Trump’s speech, as have political appointees at the White House and executive branch agencies ...

Jordan Libowitz, of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said that the event could create legal problems if the federal government is involved in staging what, in essence, becomes a political event benefiting Trump.

“This sounds less and less like a government event and more and more like a campaign rally. Since it doesn’t look like the RNC is picking up the bill, this could lead to some serious legal issues,” Libowitz said ...

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-fourth-hijacking-rnc-tickets_n_5d1a6e06e4b07f6ca5821251

Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY
Published 5:28 p.m. ET July 1, 2019
Updated 6:17 p.m. ET July 1, 2019

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has approved President Donald Trump's request for a display of tanks in conjunction with his "Salute to America" celebration on the National Mall here on the Fourth of July, the president said Monday.

Trump confirmed that the tanks will be parked near the National Mall for the July 4 celebration, the president said during remarks in the Oval Office ...

The tanks would be stationary, in a "static display," according to the aide who was not authorized to speak publicly about the plans. It is unclear how many tanks, what type or where they would come from. However, the Army has tanks at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

The Pentagon approved the display, the aide said. The Army declined to comment, referring questions to the Defense Secretary's office and the White House. White House aides, the Defense Department and the Army declined to comment ...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/01/president-donald-trump-get-tanks-july-4-celebration-dc/1621331001/