Several key Republican leaders will not be attending President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated military parade this weekend, Politico reported Wednesday.
Although most members of Congress don’t stick around Washington, D.C. during the weekends anyway, this coming weekend will feature a sight not seen in nearly four decades.
On Saturday, June 14, Trump will be honoring the Army’s 250th anniversary with a display of military hardware moving through the streets of D.C. The parade will start near the Pentagon and then run along the north side of the National Mall. While the Secret Service is anticipating thousands of people on hand to attend, many of Trump’s Republican colleagues will be out of town.
Politico interviewed 50 GOP lawmakers and only found seven that confirmed they would be attending. As expected, no Democrats will be supporting the president’s festivities, but neither will Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., nor Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who both cited other obligations in their home state as their reason for not attending.
The last military parade of such size and spectacle was in June 1991 when former President George H.W. Bush celebrated the armed forces and their efforts during the first Gulf War.
With many Republicans already fighting an internal battle over missed opportunities for budget cuts, the estimate $45 million is raising a few eyebrows.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., a budget hawk who has tangled with fellow members of his party in the past, won’t be in attendance but did not claim the parade’s price tag was the reason. “I don’t like spending on anything, but if you’re going to splurge on something, this is probably not a bad thing,” Johnson said.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who serves as chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, will be attending the Paris Air Show and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said he will be focusing on his run for governor. “I’m campaigning,” he told the outlet. “Remember, I’ve got another job I’m going for.”
Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., both said they would not be attending. Cabinet members Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins are expected to attend.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly dismissed any concerns about Republicans skipping town and confirmed that the parade is not for politicians. “President Trump looks forward to a historic crowd at the Army Birthday Parade, where he will be joined by top military leaders, administration officials, congressional representatives, and most importantly, thousands of patriotic Americans to celebrate 250 years of honor, courage, and sacrifice by our United States military,” she said in a statement.
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