There's something else to remember. They're putting the costs of this in a bubble to make it look bad.
In reality: Those tanks and vehicles and planes get ran, trained on, and driven around regardless. Those soldiers get paid regardless. The material already exists regardless. Literally all Trump is doing is having them drive 20 miles or fly in from an airbase, which are routine things that happen every day. The same money would be spent regardless. Literally all he's doing is arranging the timetable so they all overlap in DC for an hour to do some maneuvers. The actual "cost" that sets this parade as anything different than already-paid-for operations probably amount to less than half a million bucks and is mostly fuel.
There's something else to remember. They're putting the costs of this in a bubble to make it look bad.
In reality: Those tanks and vehicles and planes get ran, trained on, and driven around regardless. Those soldiers get paid regardless. The material already exists regardless. Literally all Trump is doing is having them drive 20 miles or fly in from an airbase, which are routine things that happen every day. The same money would be spent regardless. Literally all he's doing is arranging the timetable so they all overlap in DC for an hour to do some maneuvers. The actual "cost" that sets this parade as anything different than already-paid-for operations probably amount to less than half a million bucks and is mostly fuel.