Tomorrow, on Flag Day, President Trump and the White House will host U.F.C. — the Ultimate Fighting Championship — for a set of fights in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, as well as to mark the president’s 80th birthday. To hold this event, the president has transformed the White House grounds into a pay-per-view spectacle — a carnival designed and built for the biggest display you can imagine.
It suffices to say that this is out of the ordinary for a celebration of the nation’s founding and independence.
At the Jubilee in 1826, for example, President John Quincy Adams watched a parade from the steps of the White House and later listened to a reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The Centennial was a more extravagant affair — centered on a monthslong exhibition in Philadelphia. President Ulysses S. Grant opened that exhibition on May 10, 1876 in a joint appearance with Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil. In his official proclamation, Grant called on Americans to mark the centennial with “some public religious and devout thanksgiving to Almighty God for the blessings which have been bestowed upon us as a nation during the century of our existence, and humbly to invoke a continuance of His favor and of His protection.”
At the Sesquicentennial in 1926, President Calvin Coolidge delivered a speech in Philadelphia on the meaning of the Declaration of Independence. “At the end of 150 years,” said Coolidge, “the four corners of the earth unite in coming to Philadelphia as to a holy shrine in grateful acknowledgment of a service so great, which a few inspired men here rendered to humanity, that it is still the pre-eminent support of free government throughout the world.”
And on July 4, 1976, for the Bicentennial, President Gerald Ford traveled to key sites of the American Revolution — Valley Forge, Philadelphia and New York City — before returning to the White House for a final public celebration. While at Independence Hall, he also delivered a nationally televised address in which he called on the country to continue the work of the founders: “Liberty is for all men and women as a matter of equal and unalienable right. The establishment of justice and peace abroad will in large measure depend upon the peace and justice we create here in our own country, where we still show the way.”
In each celebration, we see how presidents treat the moment as a chance to exercise national leadership — to lead the American people in a collective appreciation of the nation’s highest values. None of them — not Adams, not Grant, not Coolidge, not Ford — turned the spotlight on themselves.
This is obviously a sharp contrast with the aesthetics of the current celebration, which are first and foremost about the president’s ego and vanity. But there’s something else as well.
To put the country and its people at the forefront of the occasion is to honor the democratic spirit of the founding of the United States. To put oneself at the forefront, as Trump has, is to discount and strip away that democratic content.
Sunday’s U.F.C. fight is not just a garish spectacle; it is an expression of the president’s contempt for the ritual and symbolism of American democracy — which is just another way to say, his contempt for democracy itself.
What I Wrote
I wrote about the ways Americans have shaped constitutional meaning and, in particular, the work of Black Americans through the 19th century to make the Constitution work for them.
But some of the most influential conventions in American history are well off the public radar. These are the Colored Conventions — gatherings of Black Americans held throughout the 19th century, beginning in the 1830s and ending in the 1890s. It was in these conventions that Black Americans, either born free or formerly enslaved, articulated a constitutional vision of their own. That vision would go on to play a critical role in the constitution-making of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
I also joined the Slate Culture Gabfest to talk about the new “Masters of the Universe” film. And on the most recent episode of my podcast with John Ganz, we talked about the 1998 dark comedy “Bulworth,” written, directed by and starring Warren Beatty.
Now Reading
Eric Segall on the “originalism” of the Roberts court for the blog “Dorf on Law.”
Moira Donegan on Nancy Mace for The New Yorker.
David Waldstreicher on Gordon Wood for The New Republic.
Charlotte Rosen on the Bernie Goetz shooting for The Baffler.
Lovia Gyarkye on the Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck for Hammer & Hope.
Photo of the Week
I took this picture at the peak of Mount Rubidoux in Riverside, Calif.
Now Eating: Pasta Salad
This recipe from Melissa Clark is easy and delicious and perfect for a summer cookout or a potluck. It’s also easy to make it vegetarian by omitting the cured meats.
Ingredients
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3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
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1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
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1 pound short-cut pasta, such as farfalle
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1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
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8 ounces mozzarella, cubed (or use small mozzarella balls)
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4 ounces sliced salami, cut into ¼-inch ribbons
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¾ cup sliced Kalamata olives
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½ cup thinly sliced cucumber
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3 tablespoons diced red onion
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1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley and basil leaves
Directions
Make the dressing: Combine vinegar, garlic, oregano and a big pinch each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in oil; taste and add more salt, pepper or vinegar as needed. Set aside.
Prepare the pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until the pasta is al dente. Drain well, transfer to the large bowl, and toss with the dressing while still warm.
Add tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, olives, cucumber and onion to the bowl and toss well; fold in herbs. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and vinegar, if you like.
Drizzle with olive oil and top with cracked black pepper just before serving.
The post Only One President Could Come Up With This Spectacle appeared first on New York Times.
