President Donald Trump hasn’t forgotten about his birthday plans—even in the midst of war.
Trump, 79, kicked off his Thursday by posting a bizarre AI-generated image of himself next to MAGA buddy Dana White, the CEO and president of Ultimate Fighting Championship, in an apparent nod to the UFC showdown coming to the White House in June.
The photo shows Trump and White, 56, glaring forward while standing in front of a UFC Octagon—all while rain and thunder pound the White House in the background.
Trump appears to be soothing himself amid sinking approval ratings by focusing on UFC Freedom 250, a brawling tournament slated to take place on the South Lawn for his 80th birthday on June 14th.
The event will feature six UFC fights, headlined by a lightweight match between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.
The president told Axios that it’s the “hottest ticket that I’ve ever seen.”
The bulk of the 5,000 VIP seats around the Octagon are expected to go to military personnel, while the remaining spots are up for grabs for donors, lobbyists, members of Congress, and other well-connected Trumpworld figures.
At The Ellipse, a park just outside the White House grounds, about 85,000 tickets will be allocated for the public to watch matches on large screens.
Trump’s AI-fueled daydreaming came as cracks began to emerge in the two-week ceasefire with Iran he touted as a “total and complete victory” for the U.S. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key condition of the ceasefire, had yet to take place as of Thursday afternoon, and Iranian officials said Israeli strikes on Lebanon had already violated the truce.
Two hours before posting about the UFC event, Trump also raged at NATO, the newest object of his ire, over what he viewed as the alliance’s failure to support the U.S. in the war.
“None of these people, including our own, very disappointing, NATO, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them!!!” he ranted.
Not everyone on Trump’s own social media platform is nodding their heads in agreement.
An analysis by The New York Times found that thousands of MAGA devotees on Truth Social have lashed out at the president over his handling of the Iran war.
Trump’s recent Truth Social posts have been met with anger, confusion, and disappointment by his own loyalists.
One Trump supporter “100%” accused Trump of showing a “lust for blood.” Another self-described “Trump loving conservative” warned that his rhetoric could destroy his legacy, adding, “I’m honestly heartbroken.”
“You’re utterly destroying your presidency with this nonsense. It’s probably too late to course correct at this point. A shameful waste of a great start,” another user said.
“Mr. President you are losing me as a supporter with this kind of behavior,” a separate user added. “I have supported you for so long and I am just to my point where I am ready to wash my hands of supporting you. I have been put through a lot of garbage for supporting you since 2016.”
