Planning Under Way for Trump's Military Parade.
BLITZER: Tonight, planning is under way for U.S. military parade that the president has called for in the nation's capital. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is working the story for us. Barbara, there's mixed reaction to the kind of display the president clearly wants to see.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. It's Washington. Here even a parade becomes politics.</s>STARR (voice-over): Tonight, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff confirming initial planning for a military parade is now under way. President Trump saw this military parade in Paris, and decided he wanted one of his own.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It was one of the greatest parades I've ever seen. It was two hours on the button. And it was military might. And I think a tremendous thing for France and for the spirit of France. To a large extent, because of what I witnessed, we may do something like that on July 4th in Washington down Pennsylvania.</s>STARR: The Pentagon and the White House have been talking about a parade for the last couple of months.</s>JAMES MATTIS, DEFENSE SECRETARY: As far as the parade goes, the president's respect, his fondness for the military I think they reflective in him asking for these options.</s>STARR: Ideas will be forwarded to Mr. Trump for his decision. An initial plan, a November Veterans Day parade commemorating 100 years since the end of World War I. At least one veterans group is already worried.</s>PAUL RIECKHOFF, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA: So far, it's going over in the military and veterans community like a lead balloon. We did a quick snap shat on Twitter account no means scientific, but last I checked, 88 percent of people did not support this idea.</s>STARR: American parades of military might are rare. The last one, 1991, as the Gulf War was ending. That costs a reported $12 million. The military tab for President Obama's inaugurations were approximately $20 million to $25 million. France's parade commemorated its national day. But in recent years, military parades in not so friendly countries like China have showcased their military might on the world stage. Russia has a decades long love a fair showing its latest weapons in Moscow. Pyongyang's parade, a direct symbol of Kim Jong-un's rhetoric about striking America.</s>SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I'm not looking for a soviet style hardware display.</s>STARR: What type of parade Mr. Trump orders up has quickly become controversial on both side of the aisle.</s>REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD), MINORITY WHIP: We need to honor our men and women in uniform. But I think we ought to do so in a way that does not necessarily appear bellicose or threatening.</s>STARR: And fundamental questions if this parade is simply for and about Donald Trump.</s>REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY (RET.), CNN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS ANALYST: It's really about feeding his ego and his pomp and circumstance and being honored. Other thing that bothers me is it's just antithetical to American military culture. We are not against parades. Troops march in parades. But it's about going down Pennsylvania Avenue allegedly with tanks and missiles.</s>STARR: And Democratic lawmakers today are asking the Pentagon for cost estimate and how many troops it's going to take to pull this off -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Any idea about a cost?</s>STARR: Well, not yet because they haven't decided how many tanks, missiles, weapons, how many troops, how many units. It will be expensive. There is a lot of concern that these heavy tanks, these heavy vehicles could rip up city streets in Washington. Local government is not too happy. They want to know who is going it pay for it.</s>BLITZER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon -- thanks very much. That's it for me. "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.