UFC Freedom Fight on White House Lawn in Legal Limbo as Lawsuit Lingers
The upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House South Lawn remained in legal limbo on Wednesday, after the Trump administration petitioned a federal judge to reject a recent lawsuit that could scuttle the whole thing.
A federal lawsuit was filed over the weekend to stop “UFC Freedom 250,” which is to be part of President Donald Trunp’s celebrations of the country’s 250th birthday and is scheduled for Trump’s 80th birthday — June 14,
The Public Integrity Project — an organization founded by progressive former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold — filed suit on behalf of two Virginia residents who claim the celebration is illegal because it was not approval by the National Park Service.
Plaintiffs are also arguing that it did not receive congressional approval or proper environmental oversight.
The Trump administration responded in court filings on Tuesday, asking a federal judge to block the suit because the event is only days away, leaving little time to litigate or implement any changes.
Justice Department attorneys wrote that the federal government “has spent over a year planning a series of special commemorative events” with the UFC gathering being one of the “most highly anticipated” nights on the list.
“This event is a collaboration between the White House, executive agencies, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and it has been in the making since President Trump first announced it last July,” the filings stated.
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DOJ lawyers noted that UFC and its parent company have spent over $60 million and highlighted how “tens of thousands of hours of labor” have been expended.
Additionally, thousands of spectators, who have already made arrangements for transport and lodging, are expected to view the event from the White House lawn, while “more than 120,000 visitors are expected to watch from the nearby Ellipse after winning free tickets in a lottery.”
The filings also defended the athletes who’ve been “training for months” and “have traveled from all over the world to complete,” adding that their dreams of competing would be dashed, simply because two individuals are sensitive to certain aesthetics.
“All these hopes could be dashed at the very last moment, however, by the whim of two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else,” the filing states.
“Plaintiffs Susan Douglas and Paul Romano are Virginia residents who think the sights and sounds associated with UFC Freedom 250 are ‘hideous’ and ‘disgusting.’ It would be easy enough to simply avert their gazes for the weekend,” the DOJ wrote. “Instead, they seek to enlist the power of a federal court to impose their idiosyncratic preferences on the rest of the country and ruin an event designed to celebrate the United States of America.”
The plaintiff’s timing was also questioned, given how they waited until everything was in place before bringing their claims to court.
The DOJ argued that plaintiffs live nowhere near the White House, and won’t even be in the area during the events, which will only “last several hours in total.”
“They intend to seek out that which offends their sensibilities, just so they can complain about it,” the document continued (italics in the original).
The DOJ said this goes against the legal principle that injuries and damages cannot be self-inflicted.
Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told ABC News, “This is fundamentally a private, commercial, corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain, and that is what is motivating this lawsuit.”
Crews have already begun erecting an octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn in preparation for the event. In denouncing the lawsuit last week, Trump said the result will be “a 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House.”
Mark Shapiro, president and COO of TKO — UFC’s parent company — said last week that the company will lose $30 million on “UFC Freedom 250” despite sponsorship deals.
“I want to be clear about something: We will not profit from the White House event independently,” Shapiro said. “We will not be making money on America’s 250th anniversary. This is an investment for the long term. This is about earned media.”
Dana White, CEO of UFC, also discussed the event and explained why his organization chose Washington, D.C.
“What this fight is really all about, and why we’re doing it at the White House, is it’s the 250th birthday of America,” he said. “So from the first fight of the night until the main event, we will tell the story of America.”
“You’ve got the far right, you’ve got the far left, and people thinking that this is going to be like some type of political thing,” he added. “This is the 250th birthday of America. That’s the story that we’re going to tell. If you are American, this is relevant to you as an American.”
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