A mixed martial arts (MMA) event is scheduled to take place on the White House lawn on June 14th. There could surely be no more appropriate or damning symbol of Donald Trump’s presidency than the sight of construction crews erecting a cage on the South Lawn, or the White House now dwarfed by a huge, arched lighting grid, which the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) calls “the claw”.

MMA, frequently referred to as “cage fighting”, involves a mishmash of fighting disciplines, including boxing, wrestling, judo, ju-jitsu and karate, all in the same bout. It is a particularly violent sport that celebrates overt aggression. When Trump joins the crowd of more than 4,000 people on the South Lawn, he will be very much at home, not only literally but also metaphorically. There is a strong case to be made that cage fighting is the perfect symbol of both his persona and his administration.

Trump himself bristles with aggression. He relishes violence or the threat of violence both at home and abroad – from the brutal treatment of migrants in Minneapolis and beyond to his escapades in Venezuela, Iran and elsewhere in this troubled world. He might not personally take any of the risks faced by MMA fighters, but he delights in a permanent show of macho aggression, which is an essential part of the Maga performance.

It’s perhaps relevant that the violent extravaganza and crass show of male strength and virility at the White House coincides with Trump’s 80th birthday, at a time when there are ever more questions about the apparently increasing frequency of his trips to the doctor, despite boasting what he and they insist is a “spectacular health record”.

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