President Donald Trump is throwing himself a costly military birthday parade while veteran and military families are suffering under the impact of ongoing cuts to critical programs and services.

On June 14, President Donald Trump will celebrate his birthday by throwing a costly military parade in Washington, D.C. Estimates currently place the price tag for the event around $45 million, though the final cost could be much higher as the U.S. Army has committed to repairing any damage that the parade is likely to inflict on the streets of the nation’s capital.

Trump says that this parade is meant to celebrate 250 years of the Army, seemingly deflecting attention from the fact that he is organizing the parade on the date of his own birthday. But if Trump and his administration were truly interested in celebrating the service of 15.8 million veterans, 1.3 million in active duty, and more than 765,000 reservists, his administration would prioritize investing in the critical needs of this population. The money spent on this parade could fund care for thousands of homeless veterans or preserve hundreds of jobs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

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