Trump plots Independence Day parade

President Trump said Tuesday he’s thinking about putting on a Fourth of July parade or other gathering in Washington, D.C., suggesting it could “become a tradition,” even though a similar event already exists.

Trump suggested during a Cabinet meeting that his proposed event could take place at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.

“It could be a very exciting day,” Trump said, calling it a “salute to America.”

“It’ll be a, really a gathering, as opposed to a parade I guess you’d have to say,” he continued. “Perhaps at the Lincoln Memorial. We’re looking at sites. But we’re thinking about doing something which would become perhaps, become a tradition, Salute to America, on July 4th or July 4th weekend, somewhere around that area.”

{mosads}D.C. already has established Fourth of July celebrations that include fireworks along the National Mall, a free concert and a parade down Constitution Avenue.

The mayor’s office said it has not received any information from the White House about a Fourth of July celebration.

The official tourism site of Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s idea.

The president last year expressed a desire for a military parade to be held in D.C. on Nov. 10, one day before the 100-year anniversary of the end of World War I.

The concept was divisive, with some lawmakers and officials welcoming it as a show of appreciation for the armed forces, and critics likening it to events held by authoritarian regimes.

Trump ultimately canceled the parade in August, blaming local officials for the high cost of the event. Reports emerged that the parade would have come with a $92 million price tag, though the Pentagon said planning had not reached its final stages and it could not confirm the final cost.

— Updated 2:30 p.m.