U.S. President Donald Trump's grand political show opened Sunday with an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match at the White House. It is a major event prepared ahead of the 250th anniversary of America's founding on July 4. President Trump announced on Truth Social that he would hold "the most spectacular Trump Rally, a tribute to America, around the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument in Washington, D.C." Calling an Independence Day event a "Trump Rally" is typical of President Trump.
The scale of the political show is also overwhelming. Following the UFC match at the White House, exhibition halls from all 50 states and territories will be set up on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., from the 25th of this month through the 10th of next month. A triumphal arch standing 76 meters tall, more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial, will be erected, and life-size statues of 250 figures who contributed to American history will be installed around the Potomac River. On Independence Day night, more than 860,000 fireworks will light up the sky.
America's founding commemorations have been symbols of unity. The centennial in 1876 was an occasion to heal the wounds of the Civil War, and the bicentennial in 1976 was a venue of reconciliation that soothed the wounded pride of Americans after defeat in the Vietnam War. But critics say this year is becoming a stage for division rather than unity. Indeed, anti-Trump protests continued outside the White House on Sunday, when the UFC match was held.
For President Trump, UFC is not merely a sport. Just as ancient Roman emperors appeased public sentiment with gladiatorial games, some interpret it as a "modern-day Colosseum" that rallies his support base and diverts the public's attention amid controversy over war and economic policy. On the 11th, while ceasefire negotiations with Iran were under way, he also visited a UFC venue.
A national fencing team member reportedly competed in an international tournament without even being able to bring personal equipment, due to a blockade protest at the Jamsil vote-counting station opposing a ballot shortage. Concerns are growing that protest demonstrations may be politically exploited. Just as America's founding commemorations have become embroiled in political-show controversy, the voices of young people calling for guaranteed suffrage must not be reduced to mere props for election-fraud conspiracy theories or political wrangling.
