Jul 10, 2019

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

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.

Go deeper: Trump changes national Fourth of July celebrations to include him

Go deeper