Former President Donald Trump celebrated his 78th birthday in a packed Palm Beach Convention Center on Friday night, joined by supporters and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.
The event featured Trump’s usual critiques of President Biden, particularly on immigration and foreign policy.
“Under my leadership, we had no wars,” Trump proclaimed. “Instead of a globalist warmonger in the White House, you had a peacemaker at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”
Trump capitalized on the recent arrests of eight Tajik nationals with alleged ISIS links, who had entered the U.S. via the Mexico border without proper documentation. “Our country has never been in danger like it’s in danger right now,” Trump warned. “Just this week, ISIS arrested not one, not two, but eight suspected terrorists at the highest level of terrorism.”
The birthday event, organized by Club 47, a Palm Beach-based Trump fan club, saw tickets priced between $25 and $60 sell out days in advance.
A six-tiered cake adorned with images of Trump and topped with a red MAGA hat in fondant was presented before Trump’s speech.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, rumored to be a potential running mate for Trump, also addressed the crowd. Rubio criticized President Biden’s handling of border security, stating, “We now have terrorists, criminals, and drugs entering our country across the open border, and he invited them to enter the United States.”
Rubio’s appearance marks his first on the 2024 campaign trail alongside Trump, just days after defending Trump’s controversial remarks about immigrants in a Telemundo interview. Rubio clarified that Trump’s comments were about the threat to the country, not race.
However, a legal hurdle might impede Rubio’s selection as Trump’s running mate due to both residing in Florida. The 12th Amendment requires that the Electoral College voters cannot vote for a president and vice president who are both inhabitants of the same state.
This celebration comes amid ongoing voter concerns regarding the ages of both Trump and President Biden. Trump, at 70, was the oldest person elected to the presidency in 2016 until Biden’s inauguration at 78.
If re-elected, Trump would surpass Biden as the oldest president inaugurated. Recent CBS News polling indicates Trump holds an edge over Biden concerning voter confidence in their cognitive abilities, with only a third believing Biden is fit to serve compared to half for Trump.
