'Thunderdome but less civilized': Trump's proposal for a year-long US party torched by columnist

In a caustic column for the New York Times, Michelle Cottle lambasted Donald Trump's proposal on Truth Social for a year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as nothing more than a political stunt of epic proportions that will go nowhere.

Last week the embattled former president wrapped himself in the flag as he pitched himself as the frontman for a nationwide celebration, saying he wants to give "America’s founding in 1776 the incredible anniversary it truly deserves.”

Noting the now-indicted Trump is making the proposal to suck up all the political oxygen as his 2024 GOP presidential rivals are hitting the campaign trail in Iowa as he hunkers down in Mar-a-Lago, Cottle described his efforts as a "flagrant suck up" to the voters in the midwestern state.

As she wrote, "Mr. Trump would order up a yearlong Great American State Fair, with pavilions showcasing each of the 50 states — ideally at 'the legendary Iowa state fairgrounds,' to which he would invite 'millions and millions of visitors from around the world.'"

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Calling his pitch, "an intoxicating blend of nostalgia, spectacle and performative patriotism — with lots of sharp edges, of course," the columnist suggested, "With Mr. Trump as the guiding spirit, any 1776 tribute seems destined to descend into a culture-war cage match. Think Thunderdome but less civilized."

"Mr. Trump’s Hunger/Patriot Games vision seems more than a little fraught. The whole thing has a retro, survival-of-the-fittest, vaguely gladiatorial feel, with the MAGA king sorting boys from girls and winners from losers and generally passing judgment on what constitutes valor and vigor," she accused before adding that the embattled ex-president is using the proposal to distract from the fact that he has little to offer in the way of new policy proposals as he seeks to return to the Oval Office.

"Here’s hoping someone somehow succeeds and manages to short-circuit the former president’s grandiose party planning. As is all too clear by now, any time Mr. Trump is involved, no celebration is ever going to be worth the hangover," she concluded.

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