WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump marked his 78th birthday on Friday in relative quiet, in contrast to the turbulent rest of his birthday week.
“It was just a beautiful night and I don't want it to end,” Trump told supporters in an hour-long speech at the birthday event, which went off without a hitch.
The leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination kept a relatively low profile, a day after insulting the city of Milwaukee, which will host the Republican National Convention next month, and further mocking his running mate during his first visit to the U.S. Capitol since the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by Trump supporters.
“There is great unity within the Republican Party,” Trump told reporters after meeting separately with Republican members of the House and Senate.
Trump is also busy preparing for his sentencing, scheduled for July 11, after being found guilty in a New York hush money trial, one of many negative items listed by supporters of President Joe Biden as they wished him a “happy birthday” in a different vein.
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After the visit to Washington, “Trump appeared even more disoriented and out of touch with the voters he needs to win 270 electoral votes,” according to a memo from Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler.
Birthday celebration
On Friday night, Trump headlined his birthday event with an appearance at Club 47, a group of local supporters who pay thousands of dollars to host a dinner near his private club and estate, Mar-a-Lago, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The former president is expected to campaign again on Saturday, including at a roundtable discussion at a church in Detroit and a speech to the conservative group Turning Point Action.
Michigan supporters plan to continue the birthday celebrations with a boat parade on Lake St. Clair.
Biden's birthday greetings to President Trump
President Joe Biden's campaign used the occasion to send Trump a birthday greeting listing 78 of his less-than-stellar “achievements.”
Biden's list included bankruptcy, business failures, allegations of racism, sexual misconduct allegations, threats to political opponents, threats of violence, two impeachments and four criminal indictments.
“Happy birthday, Donald,” Biden campaign spokesman James Singer said in a statement. “You are a fraud, a failure and a charlatan and a threat to our democracy, our economy, our rights and our future.”
Still, President Trump may have had a better birthday than First Lady Jill Biden, who celebrated her 73rd birthday on June 3rd while attending the trial of her son-in-law Hunter Biden.
Milwaukee is a “scary city”?
Democrats also continued to criticize Trump's comments about Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin, a battleground state that will determine the outcome of the race between Biden and Trump.
“Milwaukee, where we're holding our convention, is a terrible city,” Trump said during a meeting with House Republicans, according to Punchbowl News.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he was referring to Milwaukee's crime rate, adding, “I love Milwaukee.”
Democrats have plastered Trump's face and quotes on 10 billboards around the city. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said it was “bizarre” that Trump would insult the largest city in a crucial state. “We've all lived through his presidency, and we're going to get even with you,” she added.
Biden, Trump and the G7
Trump posted a series of posts on Truth Social on Friday afternoon, including positive poll numbers and attacks on Biden, and also touted a rally on Tuesday in Racine, Wisconsin, not far from Milwaukee.
The Republican presidential campaign responded to the recent attack in Milwaukee, citing negative media coverage of Biden's attendance at the G7 summit in Italy.
The Trump campaign has also sought to make Biden's 81-year-old age an issue in the election, claiming that the oldest president in US history is showing signs of “cognitive decline” including “pacing around” during photo ops.
The Biden campaign argued that his opponents used a video with an “artificially narrow frame” to distort the president's actions as he approached to congratulate skydivers at a G7 event.
Happy Birthday from Parliament
Trump's comments about Milwaukee and other issues were made during two closed-door meetings with House and Senate Republicans.
Both meetings marked milestones in Trump's life, with House Republicans singing “Happy Birthday” to the former president and Senate Republicans presenting him with a giant cake.
In an interview with Fox after the meeting, Trump dropped another hint about his impending vice presidential pick, saying he would likely be in the same room as his running mate during the meeting with Senate Republicans.
Republican senators high on his list include Tim Scott of South Carolina, J.D. Vance of Ohio, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Marco Rubio of Florida.
When asked, “Was your running mate in the room with you?” Trump replied, “Probably.”
Trump reiterated that he would make an announcement during the convention, scheduled for July 15-18 in Milwaukee.
It's hard to know how seriously to take all of this. Trump's list includes non-senators such as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Trump also told Fox he has a “pretty good idea” about who will be selected.
“Look, we have some really talented people here,” Trump said. “I have some pretty good ideas.”
“Pretend that day doesn't exist.”
Friday was relatively quiet by Trump's standards, but it marked the end of a week of birthday celebrations, including a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday where crowds sang “Happy Birthday” to the former president.
“There's a certain moment when you don't want to hear 'Happy Birthday,'” Trump told his supporters. “You just want to pretend the day doesn't exist.”
