Public figures mark Trump's 80th birthday with praise and criticism

Public figures from several countries marked President Trump's 80th birthday with open letters that mixed praise, criticism and satire.

Cory Doctorow credited Trump with advancing de-dollarisation, noting Ethiopia's decision to revalue its debt in yuan and India's move from gas stoves to induction cooktops. He also pointed to European projects such as Eurostack and the European Digital Infrastructure Consortium as steps away from U.S. technology.

Piers Morgan highlighted Trump's resilience after surviving an assassination attempt, two impeachments, two divorces and a financial crisis. Morgan recalled Trump's decision to return to the campaign trail days after being wounded.

Jennifer Egan listed actions she attributed to Trump, including weakening institutional checks, elevating corruption, reducing U.S. standing abroad and rolling back rights. She said the scale of those changes had left opponents struggling to respond.

Greta Thunberg offered an alphabet soup can as a gift, saying the sentences formed would be more coherent than Trump's past statements. Ai Weiwei wrote that treating life as a tradable commodity harms civilisation.

Jon Sopel noted the acting attorney general's announcement that tax authorities are barred from reviewing Trump's returns and those of his sons. He contrasted that protection with the experience of ordinary taxpayers.

Siri Hustvedt described Trump's physical condition at 80 and said the MAGA movement had promoted an image of invulnerability. Jonathan Freedland said he chose not to curse or mock Trump on the occasion, despite strong temptation.

Bill McKibben said Trump's actions had unintentionally boosted interest in renewable energy. Anthony Scaramucci posted a message styled as a note from Mephistopheles.

Dom Joly called Trump a narcissistic fraud. Afua Hirsch said Trump had reached an age associated with elder status in her culture but had instead acted as an anti-elder.

Sidney Blumenthal advised Trump to organise records ahead of expected congressional subpoenas. Oliver Bullough said cryptocurrency gains had come at the cost of long-term U.S. financial influence.

Peter Frankopan thanked Trump for statements that would serve as primary sources for historians. Arwa Mahdawi linked U.S. policy to reduced life expectancy in Gaza and cuts to USAID.

Jason Stanley said Trump had used racism and xenophobia to advance a billionaire agenda. Mick Lynch wrote a short verse wishing Trump a happy birthday.