Don Beyer: Donald Trump’s July 4th event show an ‘insecure man’ with a ‘need for celebrity’

Rep. Don Beyer said Wednesday President Trump’s July 4th “Salute to America” reveals he is an “insecure man” with a “need for celebrity.”

“I grew up here in Washington and I’ve been to the salute on the mall many many times and it’s always been non-partisan. This must be the most insecure man I’ve ever seen ’cause everything has to be about him. This bringing in the military, we’ve never seen something like that. It reminds me of some small autocratic country,” the Virginia Democrat said on CNN’s “New Day.”

The president has received backlash from several officials who worry that the event, which has typically been unaffiliated with the president, will attract protesters, drive up costs and turn the normally nonpartisan event into a taxpayer-funded rally for Mr. Trump.

Mr. Beyer said the original fireworks show was never “Democrat versus Republican” but having the president give a speech on the Lincoln Memorial “makes it inevitably about Making America Great Again.”

He highlighted concerns raised about the festival, including a Washington Post report that $2.5 million was diverted from the National Park Service for the event and the infrastructure worries of the heavy tanks tearing up D.C. roads and tunnels.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re not making a huge national infrastructure problem worse by this essentially vainglorious display of his own political need for celebrity,” he said.

Reports have surfaced that the Republican National Committee has received exclusive tickets for the celebration, tickets that were not offered to their Democratic counterparts.

President Trump has said the cost of the Independence Day event “will be very little compared to what it is worth.”

“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. Nice,” he tweeted.