Trump turns 80 (Image: Getty)
US President Donald Trump is celebrating his birthday Sunday (June 14) by bringing blood sports to the White House.
Today Trump officially becomes the oldest person to be elected as America’s great leader at 80 years old. But how does one celebrate such a record-breaking birthday? With UFC cage fighting, it would seem, with a heart-bumpingly violent spectacle to run on the White House’s manicured South Lawn of tonight, with seven fights taking place and celebrations going beyond midnight.
UFC chief Dana White, who is a close friend of Trump, told AP on Friday during a hype session for the White House showcase at the Lincoln Memorial, that this certainly going to be a birthday to remember for the US leader.
“This event is a one of one event, incredible event. I love it,” White said, as fighters sized each other up behind him at the feet of a massive statue of Abraham Lincoln.
Trump had previously attempted to combine Sunday’s birthday bonanza to an even bigger – and older – birthday: The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But that fell flat when musicians began pulling out of preforming at the government-run music festival.
Dana White with Trump (Image: Getty)
In a June 4 social post, Trump announced country singer Lee Greenwood will sing “God Bless The USA” at the June 24 event before introducing the new headlining act: Trump himself.
“We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home. All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!” Trump wrote on his own social media network.
Reports indicate that the UFC is footing the entire bill for Trump’s 80th birthday party and not the American taxpayer. The full cost of the night hasn’t been divulged, either, but the National Park Service said that more than US$60 million has already been spent on Trump’s birthday party, as per court filings in a case that had tried and failed to block the UFC cage fight night from happening. Tens of thousands of hours of manpower has also been spent in preperatuion for the White House’s UFC crossover. Ap reports tha numerous government agencies have “allocated significant resources and manpower” to make the President’s birthday party vision a reality.
Trump’s predecessor celebrated his 80th birthday with a private family brunch, for comparison. When asked about the contrast, White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said Sunday will be “one of the most entertaining nights in American history”.
UFC construction on the White House lawn (Image: Getty)
Professor of Classics at Cornell University, Mike Fontaine, compared Trump’s birthday choice to r of birthday party as a sort-of parallel to the violent gladiatorial matches of the Colosseum of Ancient Rome. Blood sports were a form of public entertainment then, and we have the UFC now, so not much has changed, he observed.
Prof Fontaine suggested the UFC birthday bash may be acting as a distraction from Trump’s recent struggles within the Oval Office. The US President’s approval rating has hit at an all-time low with the American public, while a separate Ipsos poll found in April that less than half of Americans think he has the mental sharpness to be in charge.
Whatever Trump’s motivation, Prof Fontaine said he appreciated Trump’ flair for pageantry with his leaning into “hardcore masculinity and brute fighting”.
“President Trump has a once-in-a-generation talent for this stuff,” he added, admitting that the now-octogenarian world leader definitely has a flair for style and pageantry.
