The day before his 78th birthday, Donald Trump was celebrated by Republicans in Congress who sang “Happy Birthday” and gave him a cake and gifts.
On Friday, Trump will have another birthday celebration, this time with thousands of supporters in Florida, his adopted home state.
Members of the “Club 47” fan group will listen to Trump speak in West Palm Beach, Florida, not far from his Mar-a-Lago residence. The event sold out all 5,000 tickets at about $35 each, with closer spots to the stage costing $60, according to Club 47 President Larry Snowden.
Two years ago, Trump was widely blamed for the GOP’s lackluster results in the 2022 midterms. Critics accused him of endorsing some deeply flawed candidates in the GOP’s primaries.
Now, Trump has strengthened his hold 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 was in Washington on Thursday to meet with House and Senate Republicans in his first visit to Capitol Hill since his presidency. A room full of House Republicans sang “Happy Birthday” to Trump and gave him a baseball and bat from the annual congressional game.
Senators later presented Trump with an American flag cake with 45 candles, representing his status as the 45th president. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming then added two more candles with the numerals 4 and 7.
“We’re all committed to making sure he becomes the 47th president,” Barrasso told reporters later, adding: “As he was sitting there, I pulled them out, put them on. He loved it. And that was the last big applause at the end when you heard that.”
Take a look —
.@realDonaldTrump blows out candles on his birthday cake that was given to him by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., left, during a meeting with Senate GOP members at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. pic.twitter.com/YkEfy6Vtyb
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) June 13, 2024
Among the senators who attended the gathering was Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who endorsed Trump earlier this year despite not having spoken to him since 2020. Barrasso told reporters that Trump and McConnell spoke and exchanged a fist bump.
Club 47 is based in Palm Beach County and says on its website that the club’s goal is to keep Trump’s supporters “in our area connected and engaged.” Trump most recently spoke to the club in October, days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israeli civilians.
Lydia Maldonado, a Florida resident who plans to attend Friday, said she’s frequently attended events at Club 47 and been surrounded by a crowd wearing U.S. flag shirts, Trump 2024 gear, and U.S.-themed costumes.
Maldonado said this event is unique compared to any rally or event nationwide with the former president. She also thinks Trump feels comfortable and familiar with this crowd since it’s his hometown.
“The purpose of having this event is pretty much to let him know how much the community here loves him and how much the community supports him,” Maldonado said.
Trump is now three years younger than Democratic President Joe Biden, who is 81.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.