The fog of uncertainty surrounding President Trump’s Fourth of July plans has lifted—somewhat. The president “definitely plans to speak” from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the annual televised Independence Day event, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday afternoon.
The U.S. Park Police confirmed to the Post that the White House has notified the agency of the president’s intentions. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also confirmed with WAMU that she learned that the president plans to speak during the event from the National Park Service.
City and Park Service officials have been waiting for solid confirmation of the President’s plans since he first tweeted about speaking at the event in February.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1099651121088466946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“This is usually something that’s planned months in advance,” Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst said on Wednesday morning, prior to the Post‘s article. The announcement of the full program will come directly from the White House, he said.
“We continue to work with the White House on creating a Salute to America program that will bring Americans from all over the country together in celebration of our great nation,” the National Park Service said in a statement.
Trump’s presence at a national landmark amidst the Independence Day crowds will no doubt upend existing security plans and logistics. “President Trump’s participation adds additional security measures,” the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement. “We are coordinating with our local and federal partners to ensure the 2019 Independence Day celebration is safe and enjoyable for all.”
Bowser told WAMU earlier this week that her goal is to keep police presence in neighborhoods around the city, some of which are seeing a spike in violent crime.
“We’re making sure that all eight wards of the city are safe,” she said. “So you’ll see a lot of our police resources, our Fire and EMS resources, downtown, but we’re also policing and taking care of public safety issues across the city.”
Other potential, still-unconfirmed changes to the event include moving the annual fireworks show from the National Mall to West Potomac Park and adding a second stage for musical performances. The A Capitol Fourth concert on the steps of the U.S. Capitol is typically the only performance.
Trump’s plan for “A Salute to America” follows his attempt last year to hold a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue on Veterans Day that he’d modeled after a Bastille Day celebration he saw in France. The Department of Defense postponed the Veterans Day parade after a U.S. official estimated it would cost upwards of $90 million, according to Reuters.
On Twitter, Trump blamed the postponement on what he saw as D.C. officials’ unwillingness to foot part of the bill. Major costs for the city for these types of events include salaries for local police forces, emergency personnel and cleanup crews. The federal government typically reimburses the city for inaugurations and large-scale demonstrations related to federal issues.
The U.S. Park Police declined to comment on this story and directed all questions to the National Park Service. WAMU has also reached out to the Metropolitan Police Department.
This story has been updated to include comments from the Metropolitan Police Department.
