President Donald Trump marked his 80th birthday by sharing a series of throwback photos and boasting about his achievements in Washington, D.C. One image showed a younger Trump posing on a chair, captioned: 'Years ago after saving the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park – Long before I fixed The Reflecting Pool, and everything else in Washington, D.C., including, most importantly, CRIME!' He also posted an AI-generated picture of himself wearing a jacket reading 'commander-in-chief', observing drills on US Navy ships as rockets flew overhead, with the caption: 'You're getting discombobulated.'
How is Trump celebrating his 80th birthday?
Trump is celebrating turning 80 with a spectacular event that would have once seemed unimaginable: a cage-fighting show on the South Lawn of the White House. The president will walk out of the White House surrounded by cabinet leaders, top administration officials, Republican lawmakers, and over 4,000 spectators in the UFC arena. Thousands more will watch on big screens from the nearby Ellipse. The president has linked Sunday's event, featuring seven fights running past midnight, to the months-long celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. However, it is largely a self-celebration, so much so that the G7 summit was postponed to allow the president to attend his cage-match party before flying to France.
This is a stark contrast to how his predecessor marked his 80th birthday. When President Joe Biden turned 80 in November 2022, he celebrated with a private family brunch at the White House, highlighting how much has changed.
Health questions linger
Amid the birthday spectacle, questions about Trump's health persist. Dr. Sean Barbabella stated that Trump is 'fully fit' to serve after undergoing a CT scan, heart imaging, cancer screenings, and other preventative assessments by 22 specialists. Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'Unlike other US Presidents, none of whom have ever taken an approved, high difficulty, Cognitive Test, I scored a perfect 30 out of 30, considered “extreme intelligence.” In fact, this is my fourth such test, all PERFECT or 120 correct answers out of 120 questions asked! It is very rare that anyone gets a Perfect Score, especially when achieved four times in a row.' However, reports suggest the 'high difficulty' test may be the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, used to screen for dementia. Dr. Jonathan Reiner, Professor of Medicine and Surgery and CNN Medical Analyst, questioned why Trump has taken the test four times, and others have expressed concerns.
