Military

Mattis Blows Off Reports That Parade Could Cost $92 Million: Whoever Said That ‘Is Smoking Something’

REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
Font Size:

Secretary of Defense James Mattis has waved away estimates that Trump’s planned military parade (which has now been postponed until 2019) would cost upwards of $90 million, saying such estimates are certainly exaggerated.

Mattis said that, ultimately, President Donald Trump will be the one who signs off on whether or not there will be a parade in the future.

But when presented with claims that the parade was canceled over a projected cost nearing nine figures, Mattis was blunt in his response: “Whoever told you that is probably smoking something that is legal in my state but not in most states, OK?”

President Trump appeared to contradict Mattis, saying on Friday that the parade had been canceled because “local politicians” were demanding too high a price for the parade he wanted to hold.

Follow Virginia on Twitter.