Exclusive: White House vetted parade planners for loyalty to Donald Trump.
Candidates to lead organizing efforts were rejected when they refused to vow personal loyalty to the President.
As plans for the Donald Trump Birthday/Army Anniversary celebration in the early days of their formation, people under consideration for the job of overseeing the affair were peppered with demands to vow personal loyalty to President Trump. One of those people spoke with me exclusively about the search for an organizer, telling me that multiple administration officials were involved in interviewing candidates, all demanding the pledge of fealty. I am withholding the person’s identity.
“Everything was about ‘how loyal are you?’” the rejected candidate informed me, and further noted that absolutely no interest was given to actual skills or abilities.
Among candidates under consideration were individuals with high level military experience, and civilian roles in sensitive government jobs involving national security. The role demands coordinating the movement of military equipment and personnel, making such prior work a legitimate qualification. But unless there is no valid reason to demand personal loyalty to the President for a nonpolitical and temporary assignment.
The candidate who spoke to me declined multiple demands by administration officials to articulate loyalty to Donald Trump personally. The candidate was ultimately rejected, and cites that refusal as the reason.
The centerpiece of the celebration is the parade scheduled for Saturday afternoon, along Independence Avenue in Washington, DC. In the past few days, supervisors for the teams installing fencing to prepare for the event have been unsure whether the fencing is intended to keep people inside our outside of the fenced areas.