7/2/2019

DEFENSE/HOLIDAY/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two M1 Abrams tanks from Georgia and several other armored vehicles are sitting in a rail yard in Southeast Washington, a few miles from the Lincoln Memorial, waiting to be displayed during the city’s Fourth of July celebration at President Trump’s request. The presence of the tanks, which were first photographed on Monday [7-1-19] by The Associated Press, suggests that Mr. Trump has largely succeeded in turning the city’s annual Independence Day festivities into a salute to the American military. A Defense Department official said the tanks were expected to be included in the July 4 events on the National Mall. The official was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly because the Pentagon has directed all questions about the event to the White House. A second department official said the Pentagon had been told explicitly not to discuss the planning, equipment or logistics for the event. Mr. Trump, who will be speaking Thursday [7-4-19] evening from the Lincoln Memorial, has ordered flyovers by Air Force One and aircraft from each branch of the armed forces.”

Michael D. Shear and Thomas Gibbons-Neff, “Tanks Already in Washington for Trump’s Fourth of July Event,” The new York Times online, July 2, 2019