Donald Trump’s 78th birthday becomes a show of loyalty for his fans and fellow Republicans

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump spent the day before his 78th birthday being feted by Republicans in Congress who sang “Happy Birthday” and presented him with a cake and gifts. It was a remarkable show of loyalty for a former president who was shunned by many of the same lawmakers after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

On Friday, Trump will get another birthday celebration, this time with thousands of supporters in his adopted home state.

Members of the “Club 47” fan group will hear from Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida, a short drive from his Mar-a-Lago residence. The event sold out of 5,000 tickets at about $35 apiece, with closer spots to the stage costing $60, according to Club 47 President Larry Snowden.

Weeks after becoming the first former president to have been convicted of a felony, Trump has tightened his grip on much of his party’s base and elected officials. Next month, he is scheduled to accept his party’s presidential nomination for the third time.

Trump is now three years younger than Democratic President Joe Biden, who is 81.

To mark the birthday of his general election rival, Biden’s campaign compiled a listing of “78 of Trump’s historic… ‘accomplishments,’” with links to media coverage of policy proposals including “cutting Social Security and Medicare,” Trump’s presidency during GOP losses in the U.S. House and Senate and a number of references to his legal cases.

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