The 4^th of Trump: The National Park Service is robbing its maintenance budget of $2.5 million to help pay for President Trump’s July 4^thextravaganza today in Washington. The Trump administration is refusing to say how much the whole deal is costing, but the President promises a great show for the money.

  Usually the event costs about $2 million.

  In true Trump style, a bulletin from the White House invites Americans to “Watch the greatest Fourth of July celebration in our Nation’s history.” 

  The President tweeted yesterday, “The cost of our great Salute to America tomorrow 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!”

  Any time someone says the cost doesn’t matter, the cost matters. And by the way it’s not called “Salute to America” — it’s Independence Day and Trump doesn’t have naming rights.

  In what is usually a non-political event, Trump has scheduled himself to speak to thousands of troops. Ever since attending France’s Bastille Day parade in Paris, Trump’s had military parade-envy. The NY Timesreports that Trump’s militarizing and politicizing of the 4^thof the July unsettles some current and former military leaders.

  The paper quotes retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni saying, “Put troops out there so we can thank them — leave tanks for Red Square.”

Fake Truth:The Justice Department announced yesterday that it is reversing course a second time and attempting to find a way to get a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

  This came about after Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that he was printing the 2020 census form without a question about citizenship and President Trump denounced reports about it as “fake news.”

  Trump tweeted that, “The News Reports about the Department of Commerce dropping its quest to put the Citizenship Question on the Census is incorrect or, to state it differently, FAKE! We are absolutely moving forward, as we must, because of the importance of the answer to this question.”

  Actually the news reported accurately what Commerce and the Justice Department said. Ross had issued a statement saying, “The Census Bureau has started the process of printing the decennial questionnaires without the question.” The Justice Department also had notified legal opponents and at least one federal judge that it was no longer pursuing the issue.

 Opponents of a question that asks US residents whether they are citizens say it is an attempt to skew the census toward more political power for Republicans.

 The Supreme Court last week invited the administration to provide a good reason for including the citizenship question after the majority opinion said the previous reasoning “appears to have been contrived.”

 A federal judge gave the administration until tomorrow to get its story straight after a Justice Department lawyer told him, “I can’t possibly predict at this juncture what exactly is going to happen.”

Exit Right: Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who appears to be the only Republican member of Congress who has stood up to President Trump and his administration, announced today that he is leaving the party.

  Amash writes in an opinion piece in The Washington Postthat, “I’ve become disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what I see from it. The two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions.”

  He writes that the “consequences of a mind-set among the political class that loyalty to party is more important than serving the American people or protecting our governing institutions. The parties value winning for its own sake, and at whatever cost. Instead of acting as an independent branch of government and serving as a check on the executive branch, congressional leaders of both parties expect the House and Senate to act in obedience or opposition to the president and their colleagues on a partisan basis.”

Demotion: Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher isbeing busted down to petty officer first class after his conviction for posing for a photograph with a dead ISIS prisoner he had been accused of murdering. It’s the only thing he was charged with that would not bring him a dishonorable discharge.

 Gallagher had also been accused and acquitted of killing unarmed civilians. 

  Several hours before the sentencing, President Trump tweeted, “Congratulations to Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher, his wonderful wife Andrea, and his entire family. You have been through much together. Glad I could help!”

Pajama Party: A New Jersey appeals court has blasted a state family court judge — and reversed his decision — after he refused to try as an adult a 16-year-old boy accused of raping a drunk 16-year-old girl. 

 In a ruling last year, New Jersey Superior Court Judge James Troiano denied a prosecution  motion to try the teen as an adult and instead said: “This young man comes from a good family who put him into an excellent school where he was doing extremely well.”

 The boy in question took video of himself in the act and sent it to his friends.

  Nonetheless the judge noted that the boy is an Eagle Scout and, “He is clearly a candidate for not just college but probably for a good college. His scores for college entry were very high.” 

Liquid Fire:Firefighters in Woodford County, Kentucky decided to let an entire warehouse of 45,000 barrels of bourwbon burn to the ground rather than let the alcohol drain into a nearby creek.

  The fire started about 11 Tuesday night and wasn’t out until noon yesterday.

   At first this seemed like a national disaster but the bourbon was Jim Beam, so, really, no big loss.

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