Egotistical Military Parade’s Costs
Donald Trump’s ego-driven birthday parade on June 14 will cost American taxpayers up to $45 million, including an estimated $16 million to repair Washington, D.C. streets after tanks and other heavy military equipment rolls through the city. Trump reportedly “insisted to administration officials that it take place on his birthday.” The current plan involves a tremendous scene in the center of Washington: 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks (at 70 tons each for the heaviest in service); 28 Stryker armored personnel carriers; more than 100 other vehicles; a World War II-era B-25 bomber; 6,700 soldiers; 50 helicopters; 34 horses; two mules; and a dog.
Meanwhile, America’s National Parks Are in Crisis
Trump’s own FY26 budget proposes slashing over $1.2 billion from the $4.8 billion National Park Service (NPS) Budget (a 25% reduction), including a nearly 60% cut to operations and maintenance of equipment. The result?
- According to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), a “75% reduction to the parks system” would wipe out “budgets and staffing for at least 350 national park units.”
- According to SF Gate, the budget proposed slashing $900 million from national park operations, or 40% of the operations budget, money which supports daily activities, programs, facility maintenance, and visitor services at park units.
- SF Gate also reported that the proposed budget called for a $73 million cut for construction projects in national parks, which already have a $23 billion backlog in deferred maintenance projects, while the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund would be cut by $158 million.
Even toilet paper didn’t survive the Trump cuts. According to Fox 13 Seattle, the Administration imposed credit card limits of $1 on NPS employees, effectively halting essential purchases for maintenance and utilities.
If Trump’s Birthday Parade Costs Were Applied to America’s Parks – They Could
- Fully replenish cuts made to the operation and maintenance program. Trump’s proposed FY 2026 budget included a $36 million (nearly 60%) cut to the National Park Service’s “Operation and maintenance of equipment.”
- Fund over 500 supervisory park rangers for a year. Trump’s parade 507 National Park Service Supervisory Park Rangers for a year, according to Supervisory Park Ranger salaries listed on USA Jobs.
- Hire more park service employees. As of May 13, the Park Service had 18,066 employees, according to the internal Interior data. That marks a nearly 16.5 percent drop in Park Service staff since fiscal 2023, the latest year for which data is available.
- Remove the credit card limit of $1 that was imposed on NPS employees. “‘Take your own toilet paper:’ Trump admin issues $1 credit card limit for national parks employees.”
- Maintain America’s parks basic services. USA Today reported, “Struggling to find a restroom at some National Park Service sites this spring? You’re in good company. Need relief in Utah’s Arches National Park? Some toilets are closed. Visiting King’s Canyon in California? Better hope it’s not a Tuesday. Need to make a pit stop at Maryland’s Greenbelt Park? That’s a no-go. Citing staffing issues as a result of President Donald Trump’s budget cuts, buyouts and layoffs across the National Park Service, multiple national parks have closed their toilets and visitor centers.”
National Parks are Hugely Popular and Pay for Themselves
Thirty states and two U.S. territories house America’s 63 national parks. From Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service oversees 433 national park sites—including parks, battlefields, and historic landmarks—that drew a record 332 million visitors in 2024. It’s not just popular—it’s the most trusted federal agency in America, with 76% approval from voters across party lines according to a 2024 Pew Research Center Poll.
In 2024, National Parks received $3.475 billion and put $55.6 billion back into the economy. According to Frommer’s:
- Received $3.475 billion in federal funding.
- Returned $55.6 billion to the U.S. economy.
- Supported 415,000 jobs and generated $19.4 billion in taxable wages.
- Yielded roughly $2.7 billion in federal income tax. That nearly covers their entire budget.
California has the most national parks with nine, followed by Alaska with eight, Utah with five, and Colorado with four. This isn’t just a misallocation of resources between a military parade for Trump’s ego and much needed resources for America’s national parks. It’s a question of priorities.
Across the country, many states and their tax-paying residents pay far more to the federal government than they receive in return. There is a persistent and structural inequity that leaves many states, high-performing economic states in particular, footing the bill for a federal system that may even fail to serve their interests.
Time to Rethink the Deal?
There are striking imbalances between what states pay into the federal system and what they get back: states like New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Washington get back barely $0.60 for every dollar they send to Washington. And the poor Delaware taxpayers don’t even get back that much – only 57.25¢ for every dollar they pay into the system. Economic engines such as California (86¢), Texas (84¢), Florida (94¢), and Illinois (87¢), which rank among the largest contributors to the national economy, are effectively subsidizing the rest of the country.
Rethink the Deal wants to encourage a broad conversation on the benefits of states continuing to pay more into the federal system through their taxpayer dollars than they get in return. There is a persistent and structural inequity that leaves many states, high-performing economic states in particular, footing the bill for a federal system that may fail to serve their interests.