White House urged to shoot real bombs, not dummies, for Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House pressured U.S. Navy officials to drop real 2,000-pound bombs instead of dummy explosives during an elaborate military demonstration for a 250th anniversary service celebration attended by President Donald Trump, two people familiar with the event’s planning told The News.

A person familiar with the planning said White House officials insisted to Navy planners that Trump “needed to see explosions” rather than just a “big splash” during the Oct. 5 rally.

Original planning for what the Navy called the Presidential Review of Sea Titans called for military personnel to use dummies and not real bombs, said a third person familiar with Navy planning.

That person, who like the others was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to comment on why the Navy decided to switch to real bombs.

The White House said no changes were made. Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement: “Organizers always planned to use live ammunition, as is typical in training exercises.”

The episode is the latest example of how the Trump administration is turning the military toward the president’s wishes in ways big and small, from summoning generals from around the world to Washington for a day of speeches to its deadly attacks on suspected drug ships in the Caribbean.

The Navy and other military branches often use dummy or inert bombs for training and demonstrations. The dummies are cheaper than real bombs because they do not contain explosives, fuses or other expensive components. They are also safer.

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However, military officials often argue that the use of live ammunition for events such as the 250th birthday celebration also serves a training purpose and that the artillery would have been expended anyway at a later date. The Navy declined to comment.

The change required Navy officials to change detailed plans for the Norfolk military demonstration to ensure safety protocols were met, according to the three people familiar with the planning.

The White House went ahead with the event despite the US government shutdown, which has led to non-essential federal workers being sent home without pay and reduced the operation of many non-critical government services.

Real artillery was also used in a celebration for the Marines.

Confirmation that the Navy decided to use real bombs instead of dummies at the Norfolk Naval Base event comes as the administration faces scrutiny over a live-fire demonstration Oct. 18 at Camp Pendleton, in which a misfire of a live round caused shrapnel to be sprayed onto Interstate 5 in Southern California.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who says he will weigh a run for the White House in 2028 after next year’s midterm elections, criticized the decision and closed a section of highway connecting San Diego to Los Angeles for hours during the Marines’ Oct. 18 display. The White House criticized him for closing the highway and said the Marines said there were no safety concerns.

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Trump is a fan of military pomp

Trump has not been shy in his penchant for the pomp and pageantry that celebrates military power.

In his second term, he has pushed the American services to hold large parades and demonstrations, an idea inspired by a Bastille Day parade he attended in France early in his first term. He was a guest of honor at the 2017 event, which commemorated the centennial of the United States’ entry into World War I.

At the Navy Celebration this month in Norfolk, the president and first lady Melania Trump watched the military demonstration from the deck of an aircraft carrier before Trump gave a speech criticizing his political opponents and attacking Democratic lawmakers.

At sea, the Navy had seven Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers firing a variety of their weapons, including a large 5-inch gun. Four destroyers also launched the Navy’s Standard Missile 2 (SM-2). Each missile costs approximately 2 million dollars.

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Meanwhile, aircraft from the USS Truman’s air wing fired missiles and general-purpose bombs and conducted a strafing run with their Gatling guns. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopters also fired rockets and guns.

Trump then spoke on a dock between two towering Navy ships, an aircraft carrier and an amphibious assault ship. The aircraft carrier displayed a Navy fighter jet that had the words “President Donald J. Trump ’45-47′” printed on the fuselage, just below the cockpit window.

A Navy spokesman told the AP shortly after the event that the sailors put the president’s name on the plane for the visit and this was “typical for visits of this type.”

In addition to the live bomb demonstration, Navy destroyers launched missiles and fired shells into the Atlantic Ocean, and Navy SEALs descended from helicopters and fighter jets were catapulted from boats.

The switch to live bombs also required a greater dispersal of guided missile destroyers into the waters off Norfolk for the military demonstration.