Then-President Joe Biden, left, greets President-elect Donald Trump ahead of the inauguration ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C. [Getty Images]
Then-President Joe Biden, left, greets President-elect Donald Trump ahead of the inauguration ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C. [Getty Images]

Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who successively set the record as the oldest president in US history, have marked their 80th birthdays in starkly contrasting ways. While Biden celebrated privately, as past presidents have done, Trump is using his birthday as an occasion to project power, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

Trump turns 80 on June 14, and the White House plans to host a UFC bout on the South Lawn to mark the occasion. The White House has described the event as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations, but many observers see it as a personal birthday spectacle for the president.

Criticism that national commemorations have been co-opted for Trump's personal benefit is not new — similar concerns were raised last year.

On Trump's 79th birthday, the US Army held a parade marking its 250th anniversary. After the event, the crowd serenaded Trump with "Happy Birthday."

Long before entering politics, Trump treated his birthdays as opportunities to showcase his status, fame and power. His 50th birthday was celebrated with a lavish party at Trump Tower in New York, attended by celebrities and socialites.

Biden, by contrast, treated his birthdays as family occasions rather than political events. On his 80th birthday in 2022, he spent the day quietly at the White House, sharing brunch with family.

Biden, who took office as the oldest president in US history, was also uncomfortable with attention drawn to his age — a factor that likely contributed to his low-key approach. Ahead of his 80th birthday, he joked to reporters that he found it hard to say the number out loud.

Biden is far from the only president to have spent a birthday quietly with family, however.

George W. Bush celebrated his 60th birthday at Camp David with family and friends. Barack Obama also marked his birthdays during his presidency with small gatherings of family and close aides.

Ronald Reagan, the former Hollywood actor, held a celebration in the White House East Room attended by singer Frank Sinatra and others, but the event was largely private rather than a public affair.

"Biden celebrated his birthday in a way that minimized political liability," said Peter Loge, a professor of political communication at George Washington University. "Trump, by comparison, is someone who thinks about how to show himself in the most Trump-like way possible."


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