Trump gets ringside seat at White House UFC event on his 80th birthday

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Trump UFC event attendees say event isn't political

Trump lashes out at artists dropping out of 250th birthday concerts

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Trump walked out of the White House with UFC head Dana White beside him. The camera is following them as they head to the Octagon. 

The broadcast began with a montage of UFC fight clips, shots of the Washington Mall and construction of the Claw — and references to the U.S. Constitution.

Today, Trump becomes only the second U.S. President to turn 80 while in office, after Joe Biden. 

He is, however, the first president to celebrate his birthday with a cage fighting event on the lawn of the White House. 

If Trump remains in office until August 2028, he will overtake Biden as the oldest ever sitting president. 

Visible signs of Trump's aging — from swollen ankles to apparently falling asleep during White House events — have triggered questions about his health. Here's more on that topic. 

The fights have not yet started as the risk of thunderstorms and high winds are expected over the next hour in D.C. 

The pre-show has started and the fight is expected to begin soon.

Trump's announcement of a supposed peace deal with Iran got approval from spectators at the fan fest. 

 "I think it's wonderful," said Bill Penney, who lives in Orlando, Fla. 

Penney said he has "100 per cent faith" in the president. He said that even though a peace pact took a long time, he thinks it will "pay off in our best interests." 

Amina Suzuki was more critical.

"Going to war in the first place wasn't a good idea, so this is great news," she said. 

Details of the deal are still unclear. 

There was some doubt the fight card would go ahead, after a federal lawsuit was filed in an effort to halt the event, claiming it was unlawful. 

The filing last Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents says Congress did not consent to the construction of the Claw, that no environmental review was conducted before its construction and the approval of the event violated park regulations.

"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. 

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.

Trump UFC event attendees say event isn't political

Brothers Romi and Ilan Sankowski were among those attending U.S. President Donald Trump's UFC Freedom 250 event on Saturday. Ilan said it was 'awesome' the event was being held on the White House lawn and that he didn't believe it was political, adding 'the left makes it political.'

At the fan fest, spectators say it makes perfect sense to celebrate America's 250th birthday with a UFC fight.

"I think it's a great way to celebrate America," said Joseph Pagano, 24, who drove here from Brooklyn, N.Y. "They're warriors. America's built on warrior mentality."

Brothers Romi and Ilan Sankowski, who are from Israel, said "progressives" are ruining the U.S., but that the White House event is not political. 

"Strength — we're the leader of the world and we should be. That's what it projects," Ilan said. 

Spencer Allman, who came up from South Carolina after winning tickets, said the event shows Americans are "real fighters." 

"We won back then, we're winning now," he said. 

At Trump's election victory event in 2024, he was joined on stage by family, senior staff — and Dana White. 

The UFC has, in many ways, functioned as the sporting arm of the MAGA movement, with the organization and its fighters pledging support to Trump, who has become a ringside fixture at fights. 

Trump's relationship with UFC chief executive officer Dana White dates back to 2001. The Trump Taj Mahal in New Jersey was the venue for the first UFC event after White and his business partners had purchased the then-struggling mixed martial arts operation. 

Through the 2000s, each man rode reality TV to greater prominence, Trump with The Apprentice and White with the UFC-promotion vehicle The Ultimate Fighter. 

White endorsed Trump's bid for the Republican presidential nomination in late 2015, at a time when he was leading his GOP rivals in polling but had not been embraced by the party establishment. 

Following Trump's loss of the 2020 presidential election and the public backlash over the Jan. 6, 2021 riot on Capitol Hill, White stood by Trump, inviting him to attend several UFC events.

Trump showed his appreciation by choosing White to introduce him at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

"President Trump is a fighter," White told the crowd. "I'm in the tough-guy business and this man is the toughest, most resilient human being that I've ever met in my life."

Trump lashes out at artists dropping out of 250th birthday concerts

U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out on social media after multiple artists, including Bret Michaels and Young MC, opted out of upcoming concerts to mark America’s 250th birthday, calling them ‘overpriced singers.’

Trump cancelled one night of 250th-anniversary celebrations this month after many artists who were set to perform dropped out, citing concern about the apparent partisan nature of the event.

Those artists included Poison frontman Bret Michaels, American country singer Martina McBride, the Commodores, rapper Young MC and Milli Vanilli's Fab Morvan.

The Freedom 250 concerts were planned to be held on the National Mall on June 24. 

In its place, Trump said he will instead hold “the Greatest Rally, EVER! It will be special at every level – "A Rally to end all Rallies!" according to a post on his Truth Social account.

Some of the heaviest hitters in Trump's cabinet are in attendance for tonight's fights. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche were among the officials seen entering the grounds, according to the White House press pool.

Trump is also expected to be ringside. 

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