Two Virginia residents have filed a lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump’s plan to stage a UFC fight on the White House South Lawn as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. The complaint, reviewed by Variety, names the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior as defendants and argues that the proposed event violates long-standing rules governing use of the South Lawn.
The suit says that the National Park Service generally prohibits special events, including sporting events, from being held on the South Lawn or at the Lincoln Memorial, and also bars the erection of structures there without explicit congressional authorization and a full environmental review. According to the plaintiffs, the proposed UFC event does not fit within those rules.
At the center of the case is Trump’s plan for a “UFC Freedom 250” event tied to America’s Semiquincentennial, or 250th birthday. The lawsuit acknowledges that there is a limited exception for special events organized by executive departments, agencies, or the Semiquincentennial Commission, but argues that this UFC event is fundamentally a private, for-profit production. The complaint says it would be planned by UFC, its broadcast partners, and advertisers rather than by the federal government.
The plaintiffs also raise conflict-of-interest concerns, alleging that the event could benefit Trump and his allies financially. The lawsuit claims the event would enrich figures including Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison and UFC CEO Dana White, and says Trump himself purchased up to $50,000 in stock in TKO, the company that owns UFC.
Beyond the financial allegations, the suit argues that the fight would not meaningfully serve as a national independence celebration. Instead, it says the event would amount to a promotion of the UFC brand and a celebration of Trump’s personal milestone, rather than a federal commemoration of American history.
The legal challenge seeks to stop the White House from hosting what would be an unprecedented sporting event on the South Lawn, raising questions about public land use, environmental review, and the line between official government celebrations and private commercial spectacles. The case adds another layer of controversy to Trump’s plans for America’s 250th birthday, which are already drawing scrutiny over legality, ethics, and the role of corporate and political allies.
