HOLIDAY/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump boasted Tuesday [7-2-19] that the nation’s military leaders are ‘thrilled’ that he’s trotting out a dazzling display of troops, tanks, helicopters and fighter jets for his personal Independence Day celebration. But multiple former military leaders are publicly expressing dismay, calling it the latest example of Trump politicizing the armed services. The annual public festivities and fireworks display on the National Mall scheduled for Thursday [7-5-19] are being overtaken by Trump’s ‘Salute to America’ event, which is shaping up to feature a prominent role for the military…The Pentagon is offering few details about the deployment of military hardware and the extent of its participation, referring queries to the White House. But a small contingent of tanks and other armored vehicles has arrived in the nation’s capital, and, according to news reports, will be placed on display ahead of Trump’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial.”
–Wesley Morgan, “Trump’s Fourth of July extravaganza troubles former military leaders,” Politico, July 2, 2019 4:48 pm