The Republican National Committee (RNC) has received approval from the National Park Service (NPS) to host a fireworks show at the Washington Monument on Thursday, August 27, following President Donald Trump‘s acceptance speech.
The RNC filed an application for the request last week. The fireworks display is planned to take place from 11:30 pm to 11:35 pm on Thursday after Trump’s address from the South Lawn of the White House, marking the end of the Republican National Convention.
According to the NPS permit, the RNC is not expecting more than 50 people to gather in the area for the show. The RNC has to reimburse all associated costs.
“The applicant is responsible for production of the event and all associated costs. Additionally, per policy, the National Park Service will recover from the RNC all costs incurred as a result of the activity, including NPS administrative costs for permit preparation and management of the event, and monitoring of the activity to ensure compliance with the conditions of the permit,” Mike Litterst, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, said in a statement Monday.
The Republican National Convention is scheduled to kick off on Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina, and continue in DC.
First Lady Melania Trump will speak from the Rose Garden on Tuesday, which will be followed by Vice President Mike Pence’s speech in Baltimore on Wednesday.
The president had initially planned to deliver his speech in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, he decided to use the White House as a backdrop due to concerns about the pandemic, drawing criticism from the public that he is politicizing federal property.