- President Trump's National Mall address must not turn political.
- The last president to speak at National Mall on Fourth of July was Harry Truman.
- Nobody knows how much taxpayer money is going into the parade.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump will have a military parade at the National Mall on the Fourth of July.
No More Tradition
In the past, Presidents have stayed out of the spotlight for the Fourth of July. Although President Obama and President Bush did speeches, they were small events. President Trump is breaking that tradition and turning the Fourth of July into a huge celebration.
In 2017, President Trump visited France during Bastille Day. The celebration included a firework display and a military parade. Since then, Trump has said that he wanted to do a similar celebration for America. He is finally going to do so on this Fourth of July.
Jet flyovers and military bands are only going to be part of the parade. President Trump is also planning to have stationary tanks at his sides as he makes his speech. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton said that tanks could damage the infrastructure of the National Mall. Even if they are stationary, tanks would crush grassy areas.
No Politics Allowed
One concern that people have is that President Trump will turn the parade into a campaign rally. The President has spoken in a large number of non-political events. But, he had turned some of those events into political ones. At National Scout Jamboree in 2017, Trump talked about which states he won during the 2016 elections.
However, ElectionOdds.com knows making this parade into a political campaign would be a violation of the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act prevents the federal government from using appropriated funds for political purposes. We do not know how much of the taxpayer’s money is being used for the parade. If Trump attacks Democrats, uses his slogan, or even hands out a flyer, he violates the Hatch Act.
An unnamed White House official said that the parade wouldn’t be political. They said that Trump’s speech will be about celebrating America. On Thursday, we will see if Trump can keep it about America or if he will end up violating the Hatch Act.