The White House wanted the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary to go off with a real bang to placate Donald Trump.
They wanted the Navy to use live bombs at the celebration that Trump and wife Melania attended, rather than traditional dummy explosives, a new report alleges.
One person with knowledge of the planning for the Navy event told AP that Trump “needed to see explosions” instead of just a “big splash.”
The Oct. 5 event in Norfolk, dubbed Titans of the Sea Presidential Review, was planned to be as impressive as possible to make up for the underwhelming parade that marked the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army that doubled as Trump’s own 79th birthday party in June.
The Army event in D.C. on June 14 was overshadowed by No Kings protests that took place across the country, which were attended by 5 million people. The military anniversary event cost taxpayers $30 million, with footage of “lackluster” soldiers marching out of step going viral.
AP reported that the original plans for the Navy’s celebration saw military personnel using dummies instead of live bombs. Other sources would not comment on why the Navy switched to live ammunition.
The use of live bombs also meant Navy officials had to change their original plans for the military demonstration to adhere to safety protocols.
However, AP also reported the White House claimed that no switch was made, with deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stating, “Organizers always planned to use live munitions, as is typical in training exercises.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the U.S. Navy for comment.
In August, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was planning a do-over parade to make up for June’s disappointing event, hoping the Navy could pull off a “shimmering spectacle with seacraft.”
The Navy attempted to fly with a fighter jet with “President Donald J. Trump ‘45-47’” printed on it.
“I was just given a display with the wonderful first lady, the likes of which I think few people have ever seen before,” Trump bragged to an audience of 10,000 sailors. “The display of strength was absolutely incredible.”
The Navy ammunition incident follows the Marine Corps using live fire at an event attended by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton on Oct. 18 saw shrapnel rain down on Interstate 5, hitting two California Highway Patrol vehicles.
“I was very disappointed, because I hoped we could celebrate the Marine Corps without undue risk,” Rep. Mike Levin, a Democrat from San Clemente and Carlsbad told CalMatters. “I’m led to believe the decision-making did not put public safety first. That’s why we’re calling for a full investigation.”
Levin has contacted Hegseth to find out who decided to fire live ammunition over the freeway.
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