A federal judge ruled on Friday that the Ultimate Fighting Championship cage fight planned by President Donald Trump at the White House grounds on his birthday can proceed. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta denied a request from two Virginia residents seeking to halt the event.
The administration insists the June 14 event is not solely a personal celebration for Trump but an early commemoration of America's 250th birthday on July 4. However, in their lawsuit, Virginia residents Susan Douglas, a former federal employee and activist, and Paul Romano, a retired Air Force sergeant and Vietnam War veteran, argued the event is a deeply corrupt money-making venture for the president. Sponsorship packages cost up to $1.5 million per person, and financial disclosures show Trump personally invested as much as $50,000 in TKO, the company that owns the UFC, two weeks after the fight was announced. The Trump Organization, run by his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, partnered with the UFC to sell commemorative gold and silver coins bearing Trump's face.
Romano and Douglas also alleged the event violates federal regulations barring sporting events on National Park lands, destroys the aesthetic of public grounds with a massive 600-ton steel frame and neon lighting soaring nearly 100 feet, and that the administration ignored environmental review requirements. Related festivities on the National Mall include press conferences and weigh-in ceremonies at the Lincoln Memorial and Ellipse, with right-wing influencers like Joe Rogan and UFC head Dana White emceeing. The tournament is sponsored by Singaporean cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com and streamed by Paramount Skydance, run by Trump allies Larry and David Ellison.
Before the ruling, Brendan Ballou, an attorney with the Public Integrity Project representing the plaintiffs, described the lawsuit as a clear case about corruption. He said, "The basic question we need to ask as a country is whether we want to use our most sacred national monuments to enrich the president and his allies. We think the question answers itself."
A White House spokesperson told HuffPost the lawsuit is obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory, brought simply to prevent President Trump from hosting what will be one of the most historic sporting events in the nation's history during the semiquincentennial celebration. The Justice Department ignored allegations that Trump was using the event to enrich himself or that environmental reviews were ignored, claiming the event does not have significant effects on the environment and no more searching review was required.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate argued the timing of the suit was inexcusable since well over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been expended. The administration expects at least 4,000 spectators on the White House South Lawn plus more than 1,000 troops from various armed services, with over 120,000 more guests on the Ellipse after winning free tickets in a lottery. Structures will be removed after the event, no later than June 23.
Shumate wrote that all hopes could be dashed by the whim of two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else. He noted Douglas and Romano are Virginia residents who think the sights and sounds of UFC Freedom 250 are hideous and disgusting, and they seek to impose their idiosyncratic preferences on the rest of the country.
Congressional authority is required to erect buildings on reservations, parks, or public grounds, but the DOJ argued this only applies to permanent structures. Shumate cited past examples like President Joe Biden's 2023 holiday ice skating rink requiring a 100-ton cooled refrigeration system, as well as temporary restrooms and skate rentals.
Before the ruling, the Trump administration made highly irregular changes to its original plan, according to Ballou. Two weeks prior, the UFC's plan featured shutting down the Lincoln Memorial to the public for fighter walk-outs from within the hallowed chamber. After the lawsuit, the administration said it wouldn't use the chamber itself but a section known as the approach. It then reversed course, stating the chamber would be used for fighters to enter via elevator from a lower level, each accompanied by a child, and that filming was not restricted because permits are not required in that space.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
