DC-area Democrat calls for Trump to personally pay for any infrastructure damage from July 4 event

A House Democrat who represents part of the Washington-area suburbs in Northern Virginia is calling on President Trump to personally reimburse local governments for any damage to roads and bridges caused by military equipment used in his July 4 event.

Trump said Monday that the Pentagon will put tanks and fighter jets on display at Thursday’s event in D.C. as part of his plans for his “Salute to America” event.

{mosads}Trump pushed to bring military tanks to the site of his planned speech at the Lincoln Memorial, but National Park Service officials warned that the 60-ton vehicles could damage the area, according to The Washington Post. Engineers were examining if stationing the tanks there would would affect the Lincoln Memorial’s underground rooms.

Transporting the tanks has proved to be a logistical challenge, as the Arlington Memorial Bridge that connects Arlington National Cemetery and downtown Washington might not be able to hold the weight.

Arlington Memorial Bridge is already currently undergoing an extensive rehabilitation project.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), whose district includes Arlington, said in a statement on Tuesday that Trump should personally reimburse local governments for any damage to roads and bridges caused by the event, citing particular concern with the bridge.

“I am deeply concerned by the suggestion that the President’s insistence on displaying tanks could subject Arlington Memorial Bridge to strains grossly exceeding its weight restrictions. My colleagues and I had to fight for years to secure funding to repair the bridge, over which tens of thousands of my constituents commute every day,” Beyer said in a statement.

“Since President Trump is turning the region’s beloved annual tradition into a campaign event focused on himself, he should personally reimburse U.S. taxpayers and local governments for any damage to local infrastructure,” Beyer said. 

Trump has pushed for a military parade in Washington since attending a Bastille Day parade in 2017 in Paris. He raised the idea of a military parade on Veterans Day but faced pushback from D.C. officials and the Pentagon. The cost of that parade was estimated at around $90 million.

It’s unclear how much the July 4 event will cost taxpayers.

In addition to the tank display, Trump’s July 4 event will also halt air traffic at Reagan National Airport for the military jet flyover and the fireworks show. Flights at the airport had not been affected by the fireworks display in recent years, but the launch point is in a different location this year to accommodate Trump’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial, according to The Washington Post.