The UFC event today at the White House has been widely dismissed as an absurdity. Inevitably, the administration’s critics have portrayed the event — officially part of America’s 250th celebrations but curiously taking place on Donald Trump’s 80th birthday — as an odious example of Trumpian excess. Supporters, meanwhile, celebrate it as evidence that Trump is uniquely in touch with ordinary Americans.
Politicians are increasingly asked to function as cultural icons
But what media commentators think of the UFC event is beside the point. The significance of this event lies not in the UFC itself, but in what it shows us about the changing nature of political authority. Beneath the headlines and Reddit threads, American politics is undergoing a profound change. Politicians, especially leaders, are increasingly asked to function not merely as officeholders, but as cultural icons.
For most of American history, Presidents derived authority from their actions in office: how they navigated crises, and what legislation they spearheaded. The president did not need to vie for the public’s attention.
Today, governance remains a component of the job, but good governance is no longer sufficient to retain the engagement of the public. Like anybody else, the Commander-in-Chief must compete against the endless stream of entertainment and media floating around the internet. The modern President must have a ‘personal brand’ under which they can build a ‘community’. The UFC event and similar commercial-political alliances should thus come as no surprise. It is the logical culmination of a trend that has been developing now for decades.
