Trump has bruising birthday with UFC fight at White House
· Toronto Sun
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U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday with plenty of flash and showmanship, hosting a series of UFC matches on the White House lawn.
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Flanked by some of the most powerful and influential figures in America, which included Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, David Ellison of Paramount Skydance, cabinet secretaries and UFC president Dana White, Trump sat ringside at a Colosseum-style arena that seated 4,000 built on the White House front lawn. The arena’s centrepiece was The Claw, a 90-ft, 600-ton metal structure that covered the UFC octagon.
Alongside Trump’s birthday, the event was also billed as part of U.S. Flag Day celebrations and of the country’s 250th anniversary.
Trump’s family was also at the festivities: All five of the president’s children were there, including Don Jr., daughter Ivanka, with her husband Jared Kushner, and Tiffany and Eric Trump. Barron, 20, was also in attendance, sitting behind his father in a rare public appearance. Barron lives at the White House and goes to NYU’s DC campus.
Fighters in White House, presidential catnap
In an unprecedented sight, UFC fighters were seen warming up inside the White House, coming down the famous Truman Balcony flanked by the now famous picture of a defiant Trump rising to his feet following an assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., in 2024.
Another scene seemingly showed the president catching a few zs during the fights. One social media post caught Trump with his eyes shut with the caption: “BREAKING: DONALD TRUMP HAS FALLEN ASLEEP AT HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY UFC FREEDOM 250 EVENT.”
Fight draws criticism, opposition
Trump’s opponents loudly criticised the event. California Sen. Adam Schiff said in a clip on X: “What does a UFC fight have to do with America’s 250th birthday? Very little, actually.”
“The absolute worst of America,” Veterans for Responsible Leadership added .
Conservative social media figure Benny Johnson pointed to attempts to downplay the event, claiming the Weather Network gave a wildly inaccurate forecast for the day. Posting on X, Johnson said:
“Libtards were so desperate to stop President Trump from hosting UFC America 250, they tried to MANIPULATE the weather forecast. The leftist anti-Trump Weather Channel reported:
“- 30mph winds
– Torrential rain
– Lightning storms
– Swarms of mosquitos
“I was actually at the White House. I can promise you none of that happened. Now they just look like idiots. Better luck next time, libs.”
Days before the fight, a lawsuit filed on behalf of a Vietnam veteran and a local activist tried to put a stop to the event — citing a lack of official approvals and Trump’s close financial ties with White and UFC. A judge denied an emergency injunction to stop the fight.
Trump-UFC enrichment?
Along with accusation of the event being undignified, critics used it to shed light on Trump’s ties to UFC. Trump bought between $15,001 and $50,000 of stock in UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings in late March, according to filings.
“Grifting has always been an issue in Donald Trump’s presidency, but now the mask is off,” Jordan Libowitz with the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told the Huffington Post . “Using the White House to promote a company whose stock you bought while promoting it is one of the worst conflicts of interest you could imagine. The agenda of this administration seems to start and stop with how to make Donald Trump richer.”