Trump Marks 80 With Lavish White House MMA Event as Approval Slumps

Donald Trump, who has gilded the White House and owns a palatial private estate in Florida, is preparing for an anything but modest 80th birthday celebration on Sunday. With an investment of more than $60 million, he has turned the South Lawn into an MMA-style fighting arena, complete with a 9-meter cage, four 27-meter lighting towers, seating for about 4,000 spectators, and giant screens on the National Mall. Officially, the event is part of the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations on July 4, but the timing, three weeks earlier, makes clear it is also a birthday tribute to Trump, who was born on June 14.

Several entertainers and celebrities, including Adam Sandler, Jared Leto and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, were invited but declined politely to take part in the celebration. At age 80, Trump is second only to Joe Biden in age among sitting U.S. presidents, and if he completes his term he will become the oldest president in American history. Trump regularly emphasizes his energy, alertness and health, especially compared with his predecessor.

Last week the White House released the results of his latest medical tests, saying his condition was “excellent.” Still, observers have noted swollen ankles, which his doctors call normal and not dangerous, bruises on his hands attributed to frequent handshakes, and repeated instances of him dozing at public events. Trump has also said he is the first president to undergo cognitive tests and score highly, but he has been using a more limited vocabulary, giving long and unfocused speeches, forgetting names and details, and posting increasingly bizarre and sometimes incomprehensible messages online.

The birthday comes as Trump’s public support is at a historic low. Sixty percent of Americans disapprove of his policies and actions, while only 35% support him, far below the approval levels of his predecessors at this point in their terms. Economic weakness, renewed inflation, rising gas prices, and especially the war with Iran, which most Americans disliked from the start and now oppose even more, have driven the decline. Asked last week what he wanted for his birthday, Trump hesitated and replied with a smile, “world peace.” A developing agreement with Iran may not bring that, but it could at least let him celebrate without the shadow of a failed war that has damaged his popularity.