“Although the U.S. has an awful lot of problems, most Americans will still celebrate the 250th anniversary”
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What is the significance of America's 250th anniversary?
OK, law professor at NUIG and proud American Larry Donnelly. Good morning.
Good morning, Brendan.
So, Larry, it's a big year in the US. America is celebrating its semi-quincentennial this year. That's 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. America's 250th birthday, essentially. So the celebrations obviously culminating in the next month around July 4th. I think America 250 is the main program of events. And then there's Freedom 250, which is the more Maggie Trumpy program of events. So tell me first, Larry, about the giant claw that is currently on the front lawn of the White House.
Yeah, I have to say I'm kind of embarrassed to do it, but I'll say it anyway. This is, I suppose, going to host an MMA series of mixed martial arts fighting with a stadium being constructed on, I believe, the south lawn of the White House with capacity for 4,000 people. And these matches, which I think the late John McCain once appropriately called human cockfighting because it's so brutal and barbaric in its character. These are going to be held. And in some way, I believe, I guess the president thinks that they're symbolic or something to celebrate or something that matches the gravitude of the United States at 250.
This is the best of American culture. And of course, Trump has a long connection with the UFC and Dana White, the UFC boss, is a big ally of his. OK, then there are the planned protests. I think it's called the Great American State Fair Concert. So they're due to happen on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Not quite going to plan so far, are they?
No, they aren't. And I mean, a lot of critics will say that these were C-list musicians anyway.
But in my opinion... It wasn't the Great American Songbook exactly, was it?
Well, in my opinion, they're the best of the best because they're the music I grew up with. But the likes of... The likes of Young MC, Milli Vanilli, Bret Michaels from Poison, Martina McBride, Vanilla Ice. Now, a lot of these big names have pulled out of the performances because of the ideological character of the events. So I think they were ridiculed already, you know, for being, again, in this day and age, C-listers. But now, even they have decided to withdraw from performing.
So even C&C Music Factory do not want to be associated with Donald Trump. I think actually one of them does and the other one's on the fence. A lot of these people don't get on as well as they used to when they were famous either.
What unusual event is planned at the White House for the anniversary?
Vanilla Ice, people would be glad to know, is still confirmed to play and he is proud to be there. Larry, is the broader issue here so that Donald Trump and the MAGA people are basically, are they trying to rebrand America's 250th birthday as a MAGA event and kind of, you know, make it like everything about Trump's ego?
Yeah, I think that's pretty clearly the case, Brendan. I mean, this is almost something like a smash and grab. I mean, the end is in sight for Donald Trump, and it's almost as if he wants to get as much as he can. I mean, we haven't spoken yet about the act of Trump, which also is being constructed.
Yeah, just remind people what that is.
Well, this is a structure, evidently, that's going to be 250 feet in the air, and it's very close to Arlington National Cemetery. It's meant to celebrate America again, but really it's a celebration of Donald Trump above all else. And the bottom line here, Brendan, with all of this is – I don't really know what he's at and I don't try to get into Donald Trump's head because it's a futile mission. But you can make a very cogent case based on everything he's saying and everything he has done up to and including the foolish war with Iran that he actually does not care what happens to Republicans in the midterms. He should. And a lot of people say deep down he does. But based on everything he's saying and doing, you can make the argument that he clearly just doesn't care because none of this is in their interest.
None of this is going to help any Republican around the country win an election in November.
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