US Army has no plans to celebrate Trump’s birthday on 250th anniversary

Audio By Carbonatix

By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Army said on Wednesday it has no plans to recognize President Donald Trump’s birthday on June 14 when he presides over part of the Army’s celebrations of its 250th anniversary.

Trump, who is turning 79 on the same day, will play a big role in the celebrations, which will see Army soldiers parachuting in to present him with a folded flag. The Army will also hold a parade down Washington’s Constitution Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares that cuts through the capital.

The parade was not part of the original planning for the June 14 celebrations and was added this year, stoking criticism from Democratic lawmakers and others that Trump has hijacked the event.

Asked if there were any plans by the Army to recognize the president’s birthday, Steve Warren, an Army spokesperson, said: “I don’t think we have a plan for that.

“This has been the Army’s birthday. … We’ve had 249 previous of these,” Warren told reporters at the Pentagon. “We’re excited that the commander-in-chief is interested in the Army’s 250th anniversary and that he will want to view it.”

The celebrations will cost the Army between $25 million and $45 million and will see M1A1 Abrams tanks and other heavy vehicles participating in a parade meant to honor the Army’s history.

Army officials said they were taking steps to protect the streets of Washington, D.C., from any potential damage caused by the tanks, including putting metal plates in some areas. No damage is anticipated, but the Army will pay for any unexpected repairs if needed.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; editing by Ross Colvin and Leslie Adler)