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White House’s Bizarre Birthday Chandelier Scramble Revealed

The Trump administration spent nearly $50,000 on a rush installation.

The White House’s mad dash to prepare for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday bash has been exposed.

A contracting document first obtained by The Washington Sun revealed that the White House rushed to install four chandeliers ahead of the America 250 celebration—and the president’s long-awaited birthday bonanza.

The document dated June 5 indicated that the West Wing was installing four chandeliers in multiple rooms.

“This is an urgent and compelling requirement,” the General Services Administration wrote. “This must happen over the weekend as these must be in place before the June anniversary events.”

The document also cited “the environment of the 250th anniversary, the birthday, and other events” under a section detailing actions the agency may take to remove or overcome barriers to competition.

June 14, the weekend after the document was created, was Trump’s 80th birthday. It was marked by a bizarre UFC fight on the South Lawn held under the guise of celebrating the 250th anniversary of America’s independence.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.

The GSA selected Agile1Tech Corporation as the contractor for its rush request. The Virginia-based company had “recently completed the contract which created the UFC viewing/gaming room,” according to the document.

“Agile1Tech is familiar with how to brace these chandeliers in a structure that may not support such weight,” it stated. “Given the urgency and the unique structures in the ceilings of the White House, Agile1Tech is the contractor identified to meet this urgent need.”

The Sun reported that all of Agile1Tech’s White House work came on a non-compete basis. The company initially billed the government $22,000 but later added $27,600 for an “additional 3 chandeliers.”

A press pool report on Aug. 27 by The Atlantic’s Michael Scherer noted that “a van for a ‘Chandelier Restoration’ company passed by the briefing room around 12:30 p.m.”

Days before his 80th birthday, Trump admitted that he wasn’t feeling excited.

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“You don’t have to wish me a happy birthday, because I’m not happy about that birthday,” he told Dr. Mehmet Oz, who celebrated his birthday on June 11. “It’s a number that I never thought really too much about. It’s not a number I like, but I’m here nonetheless.”

But that didn’t stop the president from pushing through with a tacky birthday celebration. The highlight was a UFC fight that sparked outrage after a fighter called former First Lady Michelle Obama “a man.”

Polling by Navigator Research, a Democratic-aligned nonprofit, later found that the public was unimpressed with Trump’s birthday bash. The survey found that 56 percent of registered voters opposed Trump’s UFC event while only 28 percent supported it.

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Julia OrnedoReporter

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