As Washington prepares to celebrate the 250th birthday of the Army on Saturday, lawmakers are speaking out on what could be an astronomical cost for the parade.

The parade, which is expected to draw 200,000 spectators to the streets of Washington, D.C., celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army but also comes on Trump’s 79th birthday, raising complaints from some that its real purpose is to embellish his strongman image. The Army says the parade will cost up to $45 million.

Protesters of the June 14 Army parade in Washington, D.C., "will be met with very big force," President Donald Trump said on June 10.

During a White House roundtable event today, Donald Trump claims to reporters that he will be paying for most of the military parade on June 14. Contrary to his claims, during a budget hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 5,

The Federal Aviation Administration will pause hundreds of passenger flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to accommodate President Donald Trump’s extravagant military parade on June 14.