Excerpt:
UFC Freedom 250—the fight lineup planned for the White House's South Lawn on Sunday, President Trump's 80th birthday—is getting a lot of criticism. Sen. Adam Schiff called it "out of touch," White House historian Edward Lengel said it "transcends the bounds of tastelessness." Joe Rogan, a former UFC commentator, has said, "I don't like it."
While the superfight is a first for the White House, celebrity events have long been part of presidential birthday festivities. Perhaps the most famous was John F. Kennedy's 1962 fundraising extravaganza for the Democratic Party at New York's Madison Square Garden. Marilyn Monroe put on a slinky crystal-spangled dress so tight that she reportedly had to be sewed into it and sang a seductive "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" in front of 15,000 people. Among the guests were Ella Fitzgerald, Jack Benny and Harry Belafonte.