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highplainsdem

(63,428 posts)
Sun Jun 7, 2026, 05:07 PM 23 hrs ago

Lawsuit aims to block UFC fight on White House South Lawn for Trump's birthday

Source: AP via PBS

A federal lawsuit seeks to halt the upcoming UFC fight card on the White House South Lawn in a mixed martial arts show timed for President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary.

The filing Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration's authorization of the June 14 event was unlawful. The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and no environmental review was conducted before the construction.

"This is fundamentally a private, commercial, corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain," said Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. "And that is what is motivating this lawsuit."

The White House said in a statement that the legal challenge was "an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory" attempt to prevent Trump from hosting the fight and that the event was "no different than the various other White House-hosted events on the South Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and National Mall throughout the year."

-snip-

Read more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/lawsuit-aims-to-block-ufc-fight-on-white-house-south-lawn-for-trumps-birthday



🚨 ALERT: Trump's UFC fight at the White House is facing a last-minute lawsuit.

Two Virginia organizers say it's unlawful, "deeply corrupt," and a for-profit scheme — with VIP packages going for up to .5 million and everyone else needing a Paramount+ subscription just to watch.

MeidasTouch (@meidastouch.com) 2026-06-07T20:51:49.799Z
6 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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wcmagumba

(6,741 posts)
1. Good, hope they win this one and others are filed too. The whole UFC fight and arena on the WH lawn is disgusting...
Sun Jun 7, 2026, 05:10 PM
23 hrs ago

Vinca

(54,466 posts)
2. Apparently, the morons were planning to have the weigh in at the Lincoln Memorial! The Lincoln Memorial!
Sun Jun 7, 2026, 05:24 PM
23 hrs ago

hlthe2b

(114,917 posts)
4. Disgusting in every way possible. I'd guess he would have had actual gladiator events if he
Sun Jun 7, 2026, 07:56 PM
21 hrs ago

thought that would fly but these "cage matches" to me are damned near as bad. And absolutely so on the premises of the White House. Such a low life...

Hugin

(38,049 posts)
6. Ads hyping the event are on a heavy rotation on the cable channels...
Mon Jun 8, 2026, 03:31 AM
13 hrs ago

Sponsored by Paramount+.

Gee, how’d that happen?

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