Jul 10, 2019

Trump's 4th of July celebration bankrupts D.C.'s security fund

Rashaan Ayesh

President Trump speaking at his 4th of July event — Photo: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

President Trump's 4th of July festivities cost Washington, D.C. $1.7 million, bankrupting the city's Emergency Planning and Security Fund, reports the Washington Post.

By the numbers: The fund is "depleted and is estimated to be running a $6 million deficit by Sept. 30," per the Post. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. has not yet been repaid for more than $7 million in 2017 inauguration costs, local officials told the Post.

Context: The special fund — paid for with federal dollars meant to reimburse the nation's capital for exceptional public safety costs — has shrunk since Trump took office, the Post reports.

Chris Rodriguez, director of the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, explained to the Post that the estimated costs of the "Salute to America" were nearly 6 times that of past years 4th of July programs, and are likely to increase as the city accounts for expenses.

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Trump's 4th of July celebration bankrupts D.C.'s security fund

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