President Trump tweeted on Friday that he has "cancelled" the planned military parade because of high cost estimates, but adds, "Now we can buy some more jet fighters!"
"The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead ... attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters!"
The backdrop: The parade was originally expected to cost around $12 million, but reports on Thursday said the estimated expense was much higher (CNBC reported it would be closer to $92 million). The Pentagon announced Thursday night that the parade could be delayed until 2019.