Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Says Trump’s 4th Of July Event Bankrupted City’s Emergency Fund

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says that Donald Trump’s July 4th “Salute To America” cost the city $1.7 million, money that had to be moved out of the city’s emergency fund that would otherwise be used in case of terrorist attacks or severe weather, Springfield, Massachusetts’ The Republican reports.

On Tuesday, Bowser sent the Trump administration a letter asking to be reimbursed for the amount the city spent on security for the July 4th event, noting that the city now has no money in its emergency fund, and is expected to be running at a $6 million deficit. What’s more, Bowser reminded the administration that the city is still owed $7.3 million in expenses from Trump’s 2017 inauguration.

“We ask for your help with ensuring the residents of the District of Columbia are not asked to cover millions of dollars of federal expenses and are able to maintain our high standards of protection for federal events,” she wrote.

Tuesday’s letter is the latest revelation about the cost of Trump’s July 4th event, which had been kept under wraps but about which information has been trickling in. Already the National Parks Department, which oversees many public spaces in Washington, D.C., such as the National Mall, has had to divert $2.5 million to cover some costs of the event. Similarly, as reported by The Inquisitr on Wednesday, the Pentagon has revealed that the event cost the Defense Department at least $1.2 million, and that’s only for specific aspects of the military’s involvement. Other aspects, such as the flyovers from military aircraft, were paid for out of training funds.

Fox News breaks July 4 records with ratings for Trump's 'Salute to America' https://t.co/a1qnRISMlF

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) July 9, 2019

Washington is not the only city to be left holding the bag after a Trump event. As reported previously by The Inquisitr, Trump held a rally in El Paso in February, a rally which required that the city use its money for street-clearing, security, and other events. Trump’s campaign has yet to pay the $470,417.05 bill.

Back in Washington, D.C., some Congressional Democrats are calling for a probe of Trump’s “Salute To America” and its attendant costs. In a letter sent to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Maryland Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen said he wants to know if any laws were violated in using public funds to pay for the event.

“Congress did not specifically provide funds to cover the costs of the president’s expanded Fourth of July events, and we are very concerned by the impacts and the precedent of diverting limited federal resources,” Van Hollen wrote.

Meanwhile, Trump says that he intends to hold similar military-style rallies and parades in the future.