Trump’s ‘Salute to America’ July 4th celebration not without controversy

Parades, picnics and fireworks are hallmark features of July Fourth celebrations.

The nation’s capital held its traditional National Independence Day Parade down Constitution Avenue and “A Capitol Fourth Concert” at the U.S. Capitol.

There was a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence outside the National Archives and inside, Vice President Mike Pence spoke before 44 people were sworn in during a naturalization ceremony.

But this year, President Donald Trump decided to put his own spin on festivities in Washington that some say will politicize a national holiday.

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Called a “Salute to America,” the events will pay tribute to each of the nation’s five service branches with flyovers from military planes and a display of two 60-ton M1 Abrams tanks and two Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The celebration will conclude with a 35-minute fireworks display, the biggest the nation’s capital has ever seen.

In prepared remarks released by the White House, Trump will promise a “show of lifetime” to crowds gathered on the National Mall for the unprecedented presidential spectacle.

“Today, we come together as one nation with this very special Salute to America,” Trump will say, according to prepared remarks. “We celebrate our history, our people, and the heroes who proudly defend our flag—the brave men and women of the United States Military.”

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Despite concerns about the president politicizing the speech, a White House official said Trump planned to stick to the script. “It’s about saluting America, our flag and our great armed forces,” an official said of the speech.

“As we gather this evening in the joy of freedom, we remember that we ALL share a truly extraordinary heritage. Together, we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told—the story of America,” the president will say.

The president and first lady, wearing a white dress, departed the White House residence for the Lincoln Memorial as rain continued to sprinkle over Washington.

Before taking off, the president promised his remarks would be on time despite concerns about weather delays. On the National Mall, some spectators spread out on blankets and ticket holders, many with Republican connections, sat in specially reserved seats near where the president will speak.

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On stage, the president will be joined by the Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence and cabinet members like Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, wearing a clear rain poncho, and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta.

After tweeting a message wishing everyone a happy Fourth of July on Thursday morning, Trump also wrote about the “Salute to America.”

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But the new events have prompted controversy and accusations that the president is turning a holiday into a “Make America Great Again” rally.

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Protests were planned against the president and a permit was granted for protesters to inflate a giant “Baby Trump” balloon. The now infamous inflatable grabbed headlines when Trump visited London in June. It was also grabbing attention on the National Mall as it was inflated Thursday afternoon. Several hours later, the balloon had to be deflated because of wind and rain. A spokesperson for Code Pink told ABC News that it would be re-inflated if the weather improved.

Medea Benjamin, a protester with Code Pink — the group that arranged for the “Baby Trump” balloon to be at the Independence Day events — said she is here because she is “disgusted” that Trump has politicized the national celebration.

“Trump is making today all about him, when it is supposed to be all about us,” Benjamin said Thursday afternoon after helping to set up the inflatable. “He’s charging the taxpayers millions of dollars for what is a campaign rally for him and it is just wrong.”

The president’s remarks, set to begin at 6:30 p.m., were not expected to be a political speech, according to a White House official, but instead “it’s about saluting America, our flag and our great armed forces.”

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However, tickets were distributed to allies of the president, including the Republican National Committee, the Trump administration and cabinet officials the week before the event. The Democratic National Committee was not given tickets.

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In a statement, the RNC defended their allotment of tickets to what is supposed to be a non-partisan event.

“It’s standard practice for the RNC to receive a small number of tickets to events just as the DNC did under Democrat Presidents,” according to the statement. “This is routine for events like the White House Christmas Open Houses, Garden Tours in spring and fall, etc.”

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Concerns have also been raised about the costs associated with this year’s celebration. Event organizers at the Pentagon and Department of Interior haven’t revealed exactly how much money will be spent this Fourth of July on everything from the programming to security.

The Washington Post reported that the National Park Service is using nearly $2.5 million in park entrance fees to cover costs, funds that would have been used to do repairs on the nation’s parks.

William Ramos drove down from New York on Thursday morning specifically to hear Trump’s remarks later in the evening. He said that he doesn’t view the cost of including the military in the holiday events as a waste and was interested in seeing the hardware.

“I like to be proud of our country and our military,” he said. “I don’t look at it in a negative way. I think if it was (President Barack) Obama doing this we would be happy to see the military included.”

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On Wednesday, the president said those costs would be “worth it” and tried to downplay the additional expense because “we own the planes, we have the pilots, the airport is right next door (Andrews), all we need is the fuel. We own the tanks and all.”

“Fireworks are donated by two of the greats,” Trump added.

In the end, the weather may put a damper on the Washington events — forecasts call for thunderstorms on Independence Day. Still, a spokeswoman for the Department of Interior said that events will take place “rain or shine.”

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“Visitor safety is always a top priority and we are working with our interagency and law enforcement colleagues to ensure the safety of all who attend, including in the event of inclement weather during the day,” Molly Block said in a statement.

ABC News’ Stephanie Ebbs, Luis Martinez and Christine Szabo contributed to this report.