President Trumps vision of soldiers marching and tanks rolling down the boulevards of Washington is moving closer to reality in the Pentagon and White House, where officials say they have begun to plan a grand military parade later this year showcasing the might of Americas armed forces.
Trump has long mused publicly and privately about wanting such a parade, but a Jan. 18 meeting between Trump and top generals in the Pentagons tank a room reserved for top-secret discussions marked a tipping point, according to two officials briefed on the planning.
Surrounded by the militarys highest-ranking officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Trumps seemingly abstract desire for a parade was suddenly heard as a presidential directive, the officials said.
The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France, said a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the planning discussions are supposed to remain confidential. This is being worked at the highest levels of the military.
American shows of military strength dont come cheap. The cost of shipping Abrams tanks and high-tech hardware to Washington could run in the millions, and military officials said it was unclear how they would pay for it.
A White House official familiar with the planning described the discussions as brainstorming and said nothing is settled. Right now, theres really no meat on the bones, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions.
Still, the official said Trump is determined to have a parade. The president wants to do something that highlights the service and sacrifice of the military and have a unifying moment for the country, the official said.
The inspiration for Trumps push is last years Bastille Day celebration in Paris, which the president attended as a guest of French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump was awestruck by the tableau of uniformed French troops marching down Avenue des Champs-Elysees with military tanks, armored vehicles, gun trucks and carriers complete with F-16 fighter jets flying over the Arc de Triomphe and painting the sky with streaks of blue, white and red smoke for the colors of the French flag.
Aboard Air Force One en route home from Paris last July, aides said Trump told them he was dazzled by the French display and said he wanted one at home.
It was still on his mind two months later when he met with Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
It was one of the greatest parades Ive ever seen, Trump told reporters. It was two hours on the button, and it was military might, and I think a tremendous thing for France and for the spirit of France.
Seated next to Macron, Trump added: Were going to have to try to top it.
Several administration officials said the parade planning began in recent weeks and involves White House chief of staff John F. Kelly, but cautioned that it is in the preliminary stages. D.C. officials said they had not been notified of parade plans.
A date has not been selected, although officials said Trump would like to tie the parade to a patriotic holiday. Officials are weighing weather patterns as well as competing events, such as the massive annual Independence Day celebration on the Mall.
Trump officials had discussed Memorial Day on May 28, and July 4, but the Pentagon prefers Veterans Day on Nov. 11 in part because it would coincide with 100th anniversary of the victorious end of World War I and therefore be less associated with the president and politics. Thats what everyone is hoping, said the military official.