When it was made known that Donald Trump, left starstruck by his front-row view of the Bastille Day ceremonies during his trip to France last July, had tasked the Pentagon with compiling options for a large-scale military parade in the United States, the rebuke from retired military leaders and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle was swift. The general sentiment was perhaps best summed up by Republican Senator__John Kennedy,__ who told reporters, “I think confidence is silent and insecurity is loud. America is the most powerful country in all of human history; you don’t need to show it off.”

But Trump is not known for taking the high road, nor is he likely to eschew demonstrations of power and wealth. So it should come as little surprise that plans for a military parade are progressing apace—despite the fact that, according to a recent poll, 61 percent of Americans disapprove of the idea, and 75 percent (including 52 percent of Republicans) believe that the event’s price tag, which White House budget director Mick Mulvaney has put between $10 million and $30 million, would be a poor use of government funds. According to an unclassified February 20 memo that National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster wrote to Defense Secretary James Mattis, which was summarized to Politico, Trump officially directed the Department of Defense to organize a parade for Veteran’s Day in November that would begin at the White House and end at the Capitol. The memo reportedly noted that Trump wants Mattis to apprise him of “concepts of operation for this event.”

Of course, the monumental cost of such a parade—in the wake of a deficit-busting spending bill and an equally lavish tax plan—and its authoritarian overtones are just part of the problem. There’s also the matter of corralling sufficient equipment and members of the U.S. military to march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Inside the Pentagon, there’s grumbling that such a display could derail training schedules, CNN reported last week. As one Defense Department official told the outlet flatly, “We don't have troops and units sitting around waiting to do a parade.” (The Pentagon declined CNN’s request for comment.)

To help mitigate costs, the Pentagon is reportedly considering soliciting private donations to pay for the event—similar to the last American military parade held in 1991 to celebrate the end of the Gulf War, which was largely funded by private donors. Another potential approach under consideration would incorporate multimedia, coupling a large concert with video screens showing military imagery at the National Mall rather than bringing in actual equipment. It’s unclear, however, whether Trump would support such cost-cutting measures. After all, the president did intimate that any U.S. military parade on his watch would be a practice in excess. “It was a tremendous day, and to a large extent because of what I witnessed. We may do something like that on July Fourth in Washington,” Trump said during French president Emmanuel Macron's visit to Washington, referring to the Bastille Day celebration he'd attended. “We’re going to have to try to top it.”