Trump's July 4th celebration reportedly bankrupted D.C.'s security fund


President Trump threw a party and somebody else had to pay for it.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) sent a letter to the president on Tuesday, warning him that his Independence Day celebration, which cost the city government $1.7 million, bankrupted a special D.C. security fund used to safeguard the capital from terrorist threats and provide protection at events such as rallies and state funerals, The Washington Post reports.
Bowser wrote that the fund is depleted and expect to run a $6 deficit by Sept. 30.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We ask for your help with ensuring the residents of the District of Columbia are not asked to cover millions of dollars of federal expenses and are able to maintain our high standards of protection for federal events," Bowser wrote.
The costs for this year's July Fourth celebration were reportedly six times the cost as in years past in D.C. and the tab is apparently still growing.
The recent expenditures have also brought up some old wounds, the Post reports. During the Trump era, the security fund has dwindled and city officials said that the Trump administration has never repaid more than $7 million of the $27.3 million in costs the city incurred from Trump's 2017 inauguration. The administration argues that the city agreed to use unspent security fund money to pay for the the inaugural costs, but Bowser's staffers deny this, the Post reports.
The White House has not responded directly to Bowser's letter regarding the July Fourth celebration. Read more at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
How successful would Elon Musk's third party be?
Today's Big Question Musk has vowed to start a third party after falling out with Trump
-
Music reviews: Bruce Springsteen and Benson Boone
Feature "Tracks II: The Lost Albums" and "American Heart"
-
Why passkeys are the next frontier in digital security
A disruptive new technology promises to put passwords to bed forever — but not yet
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible