US 250th birthday is fast becoming Trump's show
It's America's 250th birthday on Saturday. But the main event is Donald Trump. He is and will be everywhere. You can bet your last $250
It's America's 250th birthday on Saturday. But the main event is Donald Trump. He is and will be everywhere. You can bet your last $250 - he will be staring from the new bill, if it's released. And watching from limited-edition passports and 24-karat gold coins.Fusing his personal brand with the nation's identity at this historic semiquincentennial? That's exactly the idea. Yes, there's a law prohibiting a living person from appearing on currency notes. But Republicans can always try to remove that irritant. Trump is already the first sitting president with his John Hancock on the dollar, dislodging the treasurer's signature. Tradition be damned.A divided country watches, exhausted by the extravaganza of the erratic. What should it celebrate? Rising prices, or the make-believe world of Trumpian declarations? Many are happier watching the 'discovery of America' by foreign football fans who have descended en masse, taking over cities and draining bars. They are the best birthday gift.Freddy, a German, has thousands travelling with him as he drives his rental car to catch the next World Cup match. His social media posts are soothing and reassuring, as the random fan-turned-celebrity records his first impressions of southern hospitality, Te Mex food, ranch dressing, the enormity of Costco, country music, and the quaint beauty of small towns.Americans have embraced Freddy.
Placards welcome him. Nasa gave him a tour. A popular country singer invited him to a concert after he got into her music on the road trip. Airlines have ensured he finds alternate routes through bad weather. People sent him maps when he got lost in Vermont looking for moose. Every post gets hundreds of responses filled with wonder, love and advice. No politics, no divisions.If only Washington DC were a World Cup venue, moan beleaguered residents. The vibe is negative, even angry. America's 250th feels more like Trump 250. And before anyone races to the patent office to hog/hawk the logo, forget about it. The Trump Organisation has already filed applications to trademark 'Trump 250' for use on bumper stickers, golf balls, mugs, tote bags and clothing. It's business and branding in the pursuit of happiness.But that's not enough - it never is. Trump wants to leave his mark on the capital. Literally. Nothing less than an 'Arc de Trump' would do, maybe a few inches higher than the Arc de Triomphe to drive the point home. The architectural overreach has critics howling about its fascist aesthetics, and war veterans raging over blocked views of monuments more important and built with a delicate eye on history.Trump's arch at the entrance of Arlington Cemetery, where America's fallen soldiers rest, is not a commemoration of the country but a monument to one man, say critics.
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