A lawsuit filed on Saturday is challenging President Trump’s plan to stage a mixed-martial arts event at the White House as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, calling it an unlawful “night of cage fights” that improperly turns federal property into a private, for-profit venue. The case was brought by Susan Douglas, a political activist and retiree, and Paul Romano, a Vietnam veteran, both represented by the Public Integrity Project, an anti-corruption nonprofit.
The event, organized by Ultimate Fighting Championship, is scheduled for June 14 and has already prompted major changes to the White House grounds, including the construction of a 600-ton steel arch on the South Lawn. The lawsuit says the transformation was never authorized by Congress and alleges the White House failed to conduct the required environmental review before allowing the event to move forward.
At the center of the complaint are claims that the event creates improper financial benefits for Trump, UFC chief executive Dana White, and other business figures connected to the president. The suit says Trump is an investor in UFC’s parent company, TKO Holding Group, and notes that he reportedly bought stock in March while promoting the event. It also points to reports that UFC premium tickets are being sold for more than $1 million and that Paramount Skydance, whose leadership has ties to Trump, will collect fees for streaming the fights.
The plaintiffs argue that the event is not truly a government celebration of American independence, despite being framed that way by Trump and UFC. They say it is instead a private promotional spectacle taking place nearly three weeks before Independence Day and on Trump’s 80th birthday. The lawsuit also contends that ceremonial weigh-ins are expected to be held at the Lincoln Memorial and that fighters may even make prefight walkouts from the Oval Office, describing the whole affair as an unprecedented use of iconic national spaces for branding and profit.
The White House dismissed the lawsuit as “obstructionist” and said the planned event is no different from other gatherings hosted there. UFC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The filing also echoes earlier legal challenges to Trump’s actions in Washington, including his push for a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. In this case, the plaintiffs say they suffer an “aesthetic injury” because they regularly use the area and object to the spectacle being staged near national monuments.
The lawsuit was assigned Sunday to U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta in Washington, who will first decide whether the plaintiffs have standing to sue. The legal fight comes one year after Trump held a military parade in Washington to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary, an event that also fell on his birthday.
