A federal lawsuit is asking a judge to stop next week’s UFC event at the White House, arguing the administration is allowing a private company to turn federal property into a commercial sports venue without the approvals normally required for such a project.
The case, filed Saturday on behalf of a Vietnam veteran and a Virginia civic activist, seeks to block the June 14 fight and disputes the administration’s position that the event qualifies as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.
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Plaintiffs challenge event’s legal authority
The lawsuit, brought by the Public Integrity Project, targets both the fight planned for the White House South Lawn and related activities scheduled at the Lincoln Memorial, arguing neither location can legally be used for the type of commercial sporting event the UFC is planning.
That challenge comes after weeks of visible construction outside the Executive Mansion. Crews have been assembling a large-scale venue on the South Lawn, including a towering lighting structure and the octagon cage where the fights are expected to take place.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue the event falls outside the government’s authority to waive certain permitting requirements for official America 250 celebrations. They also contend the fight conflicts with National Park Service regulations that generally prohibit sport events on federal parkland unless specifically authorized.
“The event is neither ‘for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence’ nor, crucially, being ‘planned, organized, and executed’ by the federal government,” the complaint states.
Instead, the lawsuit argues the event is being produced by UFC, its media partners and corporate sponsors and is operating as a commercial enterprise rather than a government-run celebration.
Lawsuit points to financial interests
Much of the complaint focuses on who stands to benefit from staging the event on federal grounds.
Attorneys cite reports that UFC is marketing VIP packages priced between $1 million and $1.5 million. The filing also references Paramount Skydance’s plans to stream the event through its subscription service.
The lawsuit further notes that Trump disclosed purchasing between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Group Holdings, UFC’s parent company, earlier this year.
Taken together, the plaintiffs argue, the event gives UFC and its business partners access to the White House and other national landmarks in ways that would ordinarily be unavailable to private companies.
Lincoln Memorial plans draw objection
The filing also takes aim at plans to hold ceremonial fighter weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial before the event.
One of the plaintiffs, retired Air Force Sgt. Paul Romano, said the memorial should not be used as part of a commercial sporting promotion.
“The Lincoln Memorial is sacred ground, and it honors everyone who has ever worn this country’s uniform,” Romano said in a statement. “Using it as a backdrop for a for-profit cage fight so the President and his friends can make money is a desecration.”
Romano and co-plaintiff Susan Douglas argue they regularly visit the areas identified in the lawsuit and object to the planned use of those public spaces.
White House rejects lawsuit
The White House has dismissed the case and defended the event.
In a statement to The Hill, an administration official described the lawsuit as “obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory,” arguing the UFC card is no different from other events previously hosted on White House grounds.
The fight is scheduled for June 14, the same day as Trump’s 80th birthday. Trump has promoted the event as part of the country’s semiquincentennial celebration and has called it “the greatest show on Earth.“
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