Pentagon tells troops to say ‘I am proud of my job and my vehicle/tank’ during Trump July 4 event: report

The Pentagon gave service members recommended “messages” to say at President Trump’s controversial Fourth of July celebration on the National Mall, Mother Jones reported Wednesday.

Members of the military working at the “Salute to America” event in the nation’s capital on Thursday were reportedly given cards with do’s and don’ts advising them to “make positive statements” and “stay in your lane” while avoiding “acronyms or jargon” and saying “anything you don’t want to be heard or recorded.”  

The messages service members were given include “I am proud to serve this Nation and I am proud to be a Service Member,” “I am proud to honor the Nation and the Armed Forces during this Independence Day Celebration” and “I am proud of my job and my vehicle/tank.”

SCOOP: @MotherJones obtained the Pentagon guidance to troops in Trump’s July 4th event: Say “I am proud of my job and my vehicle/tank.” https://t.co/oeMje3Y4ly pic.twitter.com/LbZ9xoOq31

— Matt Cohen (@Matt_D_Cohen) July 3, 2019

{mosads}Trump has come under fire for his use of the military during his Salute to America, including stationing tanks on the National Mall. Democrats have worried that Trump is mirroring authoritarian regimes with the show of force and that the tanks and that the involvement of the military may damage local infrastructure.

The National Park Service has reportedly been directed to divert nearly $2.5 million from funds originally intended for upkeep and maintenance of the national park system to help pay for the event.