Trump has left a lasting mark on the world. “These changes cannot be reversed” [OPINIA]
Stefanie Bolzen is a correspondent for “Die Welt” in Washington.
When John Adams, the second president of the United States, moved into the White House in 1800, he wrote to his wife: “I pray that heaven will bestow upon this house, and all who shall dwell in it in the future, its best blessings. May only honest and wise men rule under this roof.”
These words are still carved on the fireplace mantel in the State Dining Room of the White House and are part of the aura of this most famous of all government residences. This Sunday, the current host of the White House – the 45th and 47th US presidents, Donald Trump – turns 80.
The stately peace that had reigned for most of two centuries in the vast grounds of lush green lawns and towering elm trees was gone.
Demolition work has been underway for months, with excavators clearing debris from the east wing, which is expected to be built within the next three years as a ballroom to Trump's liking – with at least 650 seats and a roof-mounted drone defense system.
— Can you hear that construction noise? This is music to my ears. “Reminds me of money,” Trump, a former New York real estate tycoon, recently said. There has been even more noise in recent days. At the southern entrance, installers are building an arena almost 30 m high, the top of which protrudes above the roof of the White House, and where 14 “titans” will face each other in a bloody fight on Sunday evening.
The best Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters will honor Trump on his anniversary – a mixed martial arts (MMA) gala will be organized at the White House. The president will be sitting in the front row. 4,500 invited guests will be admitted to the arena, and over 10,000 spectators will gather on the south lawn of the White House. Millions of people around the world will watch this event on television.
When Trump was asked why he wanted such a spectacle for his 80th birthday, he replied laconically: “it's simple: I like it.” A five-hour event with fights symbolizes what Trump believes the US should be like on the eve of its 250th birthday: masculine, ruthless and brave.
Critics may call this event primitive. Residents of the capital even filed a motion to stop its organization. According to polls, the majority of US citizens do not support the organization of an MMA gala in front of the White House.
Heritage needs images
The host doesn't mind. This is his event, which is directly related to Trump's name and marks a complete departure from all conventions. — Trump has a story to tell. This story is primarily about himself, says Ben Rhodes, a former adviser to Barack Obama. Today, more than ever, Make America Great Again means disorganization instead of ritual, provocation instead of reliability, and confrontation instead of compromise.
Anyone who doesn't like this image of the USA will have to find another event to celebrate the country's great 250th birthday. Especially since Trump declared himself the star of the evening also during the main celebration on July 4 (which is the 250th anniversary of US independence). But there is another reason why organizing a mixed martial arts gala at the White House symbolizes Trump's second term.
It's about his legacy – and that needs images that stick in people's heads. Images of warriors in front of the White House, triumphal arches at the Lincoln Memorial and golden ballrooms. Video footage of B-2 bombers over Iran and combat units rappelling from helicopters onto the Venezuelan leader's residence. Let's also not forget about the red carpet at the Anchorage airport, where the American president welcomed the Russian leader who is waging war in Ukraine.
Just like Trump's name carved in gold letters on the facades of shiny skyscrapers in Manhattan and Chicago, his other images are intended to symbolize the beginning of the “golden era of America”, which he announced on January 20, 2025, during the inauguration of his presidency. Trump is working tirelessly on this.
Only his predecessor, Joe Biden, managed to assume the most powerful office in the world at the beginning of his ninth decade. Unlike Biden, Trump, who has never drank alcohol or smoked in his life (or so he claims), is in excellent physical and mental shape. He still works, at least officially, at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. He never takes time off.
A few days ago, after routine tests, his doctor confirmed that Trump's “cardiovascular age is approximately 14 years lower than his actual age.” The fact that his cholesterol levels are too high and he has gained 6 kg in seven months does not diminish his love for fast food. With brilliant retorts, he also manages to distract attention from the videos showing that he falls asleep in front of the cameras more and more often.
The challenges are piling up
However, neither retorts nor staged photos can distract attention from the fact that Trump's challenges continue to grow. The largest of them is Iran. At the beginning of the war, Trump announced that the United States had all the cards in hand. So far, it seems to be quite the opposite. The mullahs' regime seems uninterested in reaching an agreement on Trump's terms.
And — despite the vehement protest of his “good friend” in the White House — Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continues to launch attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The President of the United States has, as it were, put himself in a trap. — Trump is like a child. He saw a shiny toy and couldn't resist. Binyamin Netanyahu came to him and said: “you will be a hero, you can be the one who eliminated the mullahs,” according to the famous author Robert Kagan.
The fact that Trump currently sees no way out of this situation reveals his shaky course. On Thursday, the US president announced that he would hit Iran “very hard.” A few hours later, he withdrew this threat and declared that the agreement would be signed “soon”. He's already promised it more than half a dozen times. The last time was on Saturday – he stated that on Sunday, his birthday, an agreement with Iran would be signed, which would “immediately” open the Strait of Hormuz. Will this really be the case? It remains to be seen. Meanwhile, 60 percent US citizens are against the war.
Within the MAGA movement, the issue of conflict with Iran has become a point of contention that inevitably weakens the president. How angry Trump is can be seen more than once during his appearances in front of the cameras. He recently responded to an NBC reporter's critical questions with loud insults, a red face and an abrupt end to the conversation.
Enraged by the slow counting of votes in the California gubernatorial primary, he also began spouting wild conspiracy theories — that the vote was “rigged.” To everyone's surprise, the candidate he supported still made it to the final two.
Trump is leaving his mark on the US
Meanwhile, Republicans in the US Congress increasingly have the courage to say “no”. They did this, for example, when Trump concluded an agreement with his own Department of Justice, which provides “individuals prosecuted by the US justice system”, including the Americans who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, access to a compensation fund worth the equivalent of EUR 1.6 billion (PLN 6.8 billion). Republicans then took to the political barricades. The White House has put plans for the fund on hold.
But even if his name no longer appears on the white marble wall, Trump has inevitably left his mark on the US and the world. His second term in office triggered geopolitical changes that cannot be reversed. Europe feels this very severely. And Donald Trump is halfway through his term. If he leaves the White House in January 2029, according to the constitution, he will be 82 years old.
