Trump Wants to Make the Lincoln Memorial Area a VIP Section on July 4
First Donald Trump couldn’t have his dumb $92
million military parade, so he decided to usurp
Fourth of July celebrations this year in the nation’s capital. Now, he
plans to transform the area in front of the Lincoln Memorial into a
ticketed-only VIP area for his family and friends.
In other words, Trump wants to temporarily convert one of
the nation’s most important public monuments into a type of Mar-a-Lago North. ‘Murica!
DC’s Independence Day festivities have always been nonpartisan,
and they certainly have never been used as an excuse for an exclusive party for
a wannabe dictator occupying the White House, along with his moronic children and corrupt Cabinet cronies.
According to The
Washington Post, the area in front of the Lincoln Memorial extending to the
middle of the reflecting pool will be “reserved
for dignitaries, family and friends” of Trump and “accessible only through
tickets distributed by the White House.”
The Post described
Trump’s plan as a “rebranding” of traditional July 4 activities, and Trump will
deliver a speech in front of the memorial. The president is calling this
narcissistic charade “Salute to America.” I’m guessing a lot of red hats will
be there, probably for sale, and like the fireworks, they’ll be made in China.
Trump’s planners are adding more fireworks to the event than
in past iterations, plus military bands and flyovers from military aircraft,
the Blue Angels, and even Air Force One, according to the newspaper. All of
this will affect other local logistics, such as transportation, boating, and air traffic. For example, unlike in past years, the Arlington Memorial Bridge
will be closed, which is going to be a major headache for local motorists.
Per the Post:
The ongoing shifts to what had been established security and
crowd-control protocols have left officials in the District and some federal
agencies confused about logistics as basic as what Metro stops and roads might
be open or closed, and for what period, and how many fireworks displays will
launch.
On Friday morning, bleachers had been set up on the plaza
below the Lincoln Memorial, and workers were erecting other structures. Seats
faced away from the memorial and toward the Washington Monument, making
it unclear where exactly Trump plans to stand while giving his speech.
Plus, the White House isn’t telling reporters yet how one
might obtain one of these “free” VIP tickets.
And speaking of fireworks, DC’s WTOP reported this week that
the CEO of Phantom Fireworks, the country’s largest consumer fireworks
retailer, spoke with Trump about Chinese tariffs a month ago. (Consumer
fireworks sold in the U.S. are mostly made in China.) A few weeks after that
meeting, which took place among business executives in DC, Phantom Fireworks CEO
Bruce Zoldan donated $750,000
worth of fireworks for the July 4 event.
On Saturday, Trump announced at this year’s G-20 summit in
Japan that he had decided to delay new tariffs on Chinese goods pending
possible talks with that nation. The announcement followed a meeting Trump had
with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Zoldan told WTOP that discussions about the donations had
been ongoing for months, and they had nothing to do talks the execs had with
Trump about tariffs on Chinese goods.
Nevertheless, the story caught the attention of Citizens for
Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonprofit organization that has sued
Trump for alleged constitutional violations, including allegedly receiving
illegal payments from foreign governments.
My advice if you’re in the area
on Thursday: Boycott all of this shit and go somewhere else. And let’s kick this megalomaniac and all of his enablers out of DC next year.