Public Integrity Project Sues to Block 5,000-Seat White House UFC Fight for Trump’s 80th Birthday
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 7
Public Integrity Project Sues to Block 5,000-Seat White House UFC Fight for Trump’s 80th Birthday
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 7
Summary
A federal lawsuit filed Saturday seeks to stop the June 14 UFC card on the White House South Lawn, arguing the Trump administration unlawfully approved the event tied to Trump’s 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The complaint says National Park Service rules bar sporting events on federal parkland, Congress never approved the towering arch planned over the site, and no environmental review preceded construction now underway.
Crews are already building an octagon on the South Lawn for what Trump has described as a 5,000-seat arena, with large screens at the nearby Ellipse and up to 85,000 free tickets planned across both locations.
The White House called the suit obstructionist and baseless, saying the fight is comparable to other properly permitted events on the South Lawn, Ellipse and National Mall; UFC did not immediately comment.
The case extends a broader challenge to Trump’s White House building push and to critics’ claims that a private commercial spectacle is being staged on federal grounds for private gain.