Trump turns 80 with cage fight, Iran deal

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday with an extraordinary display of political machismo Sunday, staging a cage fight on the White House lawn hours after announcing a peace deal with Iran.

In unprecedented scenes, Trump walked out of the Oval Office alongside Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) boss Dana White and headed towards the giant arena dubbed “The Claw.”

On the way, the reality TV star-turned-president mounted the historic Truman balcony and saluted while the national anthem and 12 US military jets staged a noisy flyover of the White House.

Trump then took his place on the South Lawn, beside the mesh-fenced cage called the Octagon where 14 fighters will beat each other bloody in the first professional sporting event ever held at the White House.

He was cageside as the first fighter, Brazil’s Diego Lopes, won by a knockout.

The icing on the cake for the birthday festivities of the oldest US president ever to take office had come earlier as he said a peace deal with Iran was now “complete.”

But there could still be rain on Trump’s parade, with thunderstorms over Washington causing at least a one delay to the $60 million mixed martial arts tournament.

The “UFC Freedom 250” event is linked to this year’s festivities for the 250th anniversary of US independence – but it also happens to fall not only on the US public holiday of Flag Day, but on the same day that Trump enters his ninth decade.

‘Bit of selfishness’

Critics have derided the cage fight, saying it is a tacky debasement of the White House by a president who has repeatedly shattered norms during his time in power.

Billionaire Trump has also faced criticism for staging the event amid a war with Iran that has sent global energy prices soaring and caused a major knock-on effect for US consumers.

But fans gathered to watch the violent extravaganza on a giant screen on the Ellipse outside the White House defended the event.

“I do think maybe it’s like a little bit of selfishness, but he is the leader, so he has a say,” Nyles Rife, a 35-year-old sports performance coach from Virginia, told AFP.

“If I was a president, if I were to have a UFC event on my birthday, and it fell on the 250th anniversary/Flag day, I’d do the same. Why not?”

Mark Toone, a 50-year-old US Marine Corps veteran, said the fight was “totally emblematic and representative of American culture.”

“I think that it’s unfortunate that the opposition is spreading lots of lies and untruths about this event,” he said.

The billionaire president – who has deep ties with a sport whose young male fans reflect his own political base – has defended the UFC event as a unique spectacle.

“This is going to be an event you’re really gonna like,” Trump said as he hosted some of the muscle-bound fighters in the Oval Office in May.

The White House says the UFC is bearing the entire cost.

‘Not a number I like’

But there has also been criticism of the commercialisation of the event in the home of American democracy, with sponsors including Bud Light beer and betting market Polymarket having their logos emblasoned on the Octagon.

The fight is also being broadcast exclusively by Paramount, the US broadcaster run by Trump ally David Ellison.

The macho spectacle has meanwhile distracted from questions about Trump’s health as he ages.

Trump loves to compare his virility to Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, who also turned 80 in office, but was forced to drop his bid for a second term after a disastrous debate with the Republican.

But from bruised hands to a vein condition in his legs and apparent sleepiness in meetings, Trump has also had a number of issues, even though his doctor says he’s in excellent health.

Trump admitted that he was “not happy about that birthday that I’m having,” in a video posted by one of his officials this week. “It’s not a number I like, but I’m here nevertheless.”

For his last birthday, Trump oversaw an unprecedented military parade in Washington, marking the 250th anniversary of the US army.