Trump's 4th of July celebration double the cost from previous years: study

Source: The Hill | June 25, 2020 | Rebecca Beitsch

President Trump’s expanded Fourth of July celebrations last year cost double that of previous years, siphoning some $13 million in taxpayer funds.

The expanded event, which was redesigned by Trump to include a larger fireworks show, a military display, and a speech from himself on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, outpaced the $6 million to $7 million spent the three years prior, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

“This increase was attributable to the cost for [the Department of Defense] to transport several vehicles to the National Mall, the production and execution of the Salute to America event, and the additional security involved because the President attended the event,” the study found.

The report comes as lawmakers are concerned this year’s celebration will likewise be costly while also carrying significant risk for spreading the coronavirus.

“The Government Accountability Office’s report confirms what we knew all along: the president was willing to spend millions of dollars of taxpayer funds—expenses that weren’t budgeted for and that roughly doubled what was spent in previous years—to meet his extravagant demands,” Democratic Sens. Tom Udall (N.M.), Pat Leahy (Vt.) and Chris Van Hollen (Md.), who requested the report, said in a statement.

“Now, the Trump administration is at it again—spending undisclosed amounts of taxpayer money to fund special events and encourage large crowds to gather while our nation is in the middle of a pandemic,” they added.

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