Trump's Big Show on July 4 : patriotic speech or campaign rally?

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that production on July 4 of this year would include military demonstrations and aircraft overflights, as well as the usual concert and fireworks

Washington:

President Donald Trump is planning a speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial and a possible Air Force flyby for the Independence Day celebration in Washington, D.C., criticizing the fact that he wants to turn a traditionally non-partisan national event into a political rally.

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that production on July 4 of this year would include military demonstrations and aircraft overflights, as well as the usual concert and fireworks. Air Force One, the customized Boeing 747 used by American presidents, should be among the star aircraft.

The annual celebration of the National Mall, lined with monuments, usually attracts hundreds of thousands of people to commemorate the adoption of the declaration of independence on July 4, 1776.

The most important change is Trump's own appearance, which will take place as he intensifies his re-election campaign in 2020. American presidents have not appeared at the Independence Day celebrations for decades, according to the National Park Service. U.s. law prohibits use of public funds for publicity or propaganda.

"We are deeply concerned that the president's participation in the event will turn the long-standing non-partisan celebration into a de facto rally at the expense of taxpayers, which will serve to strengthen division rather than unify the nation", Democratic senators Tom Udall, Patrick Leahy and Chris Van Hollen wrote Tuesday in a letter to Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.

Asked about the possible political implications of Trump's speech earlier this month, the White House said Trump wanted to help" all Americans " celebrate July 4.

Trump's appearance will incur additional costs at a time when its administration is seeking to reduce the budget of the National Parks Service, which oversees the event. The District of Columbia, which will assist the police, has almost exhausted funding for federal security costs.

"Every time a president goes to a public place, such as a national park, to address the American public, public safety is subject to additional costs," said Department of the Interior spokesperson Molly Block.

The costs will be borne by the White House, the National Park Service, the US Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies, said Block. She refused to say how the Trump administration would pay the bill.