A massive arena, an MMA cage, and millions of dollars: Donald Trump is organizing a Mixed Martial Arts tournament on Sunday for his 80th birthday in the South Lawn of the White House, in the garden where the Oslo Accords were signed, the garden where Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency after the Watergate scandal…

Officially, the $60 million spectacle marks the start of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of American Independence.

But such a waste of resources to organize this kind of “sports” spectacle right under the president’s nose, on his birthday, is causing outrage among Americans who are paying for Trump’s most recent “whim”—his war against Iran—through rising living costs.

Trump insists: the cost of installing the 28-meter-high arena in front of the White House and all related expenses will be paid by the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the company that dominates the world of MMA.

The businessman makes no secret of his admiration for this sport, which combines techniques and rules from a range of martial arts, from judo to Thai boxing.

Participants fight in a kind of octagonal cage. “They are the toughest you’ll ever see,” Donald Trump told the New York Post. “If you’ve never watched it, you won’t believe your eyes.”

A brutal spectacle and soft power

Trump is a big fan of this brutal spectacle. He uses it to appeal to the MMA world—mostly young men—a segment of the electorate that supports him.

In the midst of the World Cup, the White House intends to capitalize on these MMA fights on the international stage as well. It has asked American diplomats to promote MMA by entering into agreements with the UFC as yet another tool of soft power.

“‘Perhaps a billion people around the world’ could watch the fights in the White House arena, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said enthusiastically.

In the South Lawn of the White House, the steel arena with projectors and giant screens will welcome 4,000 spectators on Sunday. According to Dana White, the head of the UFC, half of them will be American soldiers. More than 100,000 people are expected in the nearby fan zone set up for the occasion.

“Gladiators”

The real estate mogul, the face of reality TV who unexpectedly took on the role of president, once again highlights the gulf that separates him from the presidents of the United States.

“Donald Trump built his public image by turning himself into a spectacle,” says Peter Loge of George Washington University. The political communication expert emphasizes that Sunday’s spectacle fits perfectly with the style of presidency that appeals to his electoral base.

“It’s something like a gladiatorial spectacle,” says the professor. “In these turbulent times, it’s like saying that the United States is strong, in control….and there will be fireworks and two guys beating each other up…”.

The spectacle has sparked furious reactions. A lawsuit has been filed in court to stop the construction of the arena, arguing that it constitutes an illegal use of public space to enrich the president’s friends.

The White House rejected the accusations and denied something Trump himself said: that the cage could remain, in the vein of “just as Paris kept the Eiffel Tower after the 1889 World’s Fair”…