Democrats Call for Cancellation of Trump's 'Vain' 4th July 'Salute to America' Event
Democratic lawmakers say event is a waste of money
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Democratic lawmakers are calling for President Donald Trump;s Independence Day "Salute to America," arguing it is a "vanity project."
Those Democrats include:
- Reps. Don Beyer
- Steny Hoyer
- Eleanor Holmes Norton
- Gerry Connolly
- Jennifer Wexton
- Jamie Raskin
- Anthony Brown
- David Trone
- Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen
The lawmakers wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, calling for the event to be canceled.
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Last year, the Fourth of July event drew thousands of onlookers to witness Trump deliver a speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
The event saw spectacular airshow featuring military planes.
The Pentagon spent $1.2 million on the event, while the Department of the Interior spent $2.45 million.
But lawmakers argued that spending such funds is financially wasteful and is a vanity project” for Trump.
They also argued that the event would “exceed public gathering best practices and significantly increase the threat of community spread of COVID-19.”
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In an April 22 briefing, Trump announced his intention for his "Salute to America" to continue.
"Last year was a tremendous success, and I would imagine we'll do it, hopefully, I can use the term 'forever,” he said.
In 2019, Fox News' coverage of Trump's "Salute to America" speech more than doubled the viewing figures of CNN and MSNBC combined.
The President's address to the nation was watched by 4.65 million people on Fox News, with just under 800,000 in the key 25-54 age demographic, Nielsen Media Research reported.
Hollywood liberals like left-wing director Rob Reiner slammed the event last year saying:
“In the face of a humanitarian crisis, that this malignant narcissist would steal taxpayer dollars to stage a partisan display of Autocracy to massage his damaged psyche is nothing short of sociopathic."
