WASHINGTON – Call it the Donald J. Trump Spectacle, a Las Vegas-meets-White House extravaganza at dusk.
On the night of his 80th birthday, June 14, the president sat under The Crow, a 90-foot arch decorated with twinkling stars and stripes, to watch a series of Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts cage matches.
President Trump sat ringside next to the eight-sided arena known as the Octagon, flanked by first lady Melania Trump and UFC CEO Dana White.
The frenzied event, described by historians as unprecedented, marked not only Trump’s birthday but also Flag Day, and was promoted as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
When President Trump and White first walked from the Oval Office to the arena, which seats about 4,000 people, there were many members of the Trump family in the audience. Business heavyweights like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Paramount Skydance’s David Ellison. Chief Cabinet Secretary. and U.S. military personnel – cheers erupted. A military plane flew over the White House during the national anthem.
Violent Sports, Punitive President
The first of seven matches pitted Brazil’s Diego Lopez against American Steve Garcia. The Brazilian won the fight and climbed the Octagon fence in victory. The crowd went wild. It was an unusual sight to see the fighters warming up inside the White House and then strolling around Truman’s balcony, many wrapped in American flags.
But for Trump, the event was on-brand.
After all, this is the same president who, with blood dripping from his face, raised his fist in the air and said, “Fight, fight, fight,” right after the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. It has since become a rallying cry for his supporters, and a portrait of the scene now hangs prominently in the White House.
This vicious martial art reflects President Trump’s own brand of combative, take-no-prisoners politics. He has been given terrible nicknames by those close to him and has publicly called for his arrest and prosecution by judges and state prosecutors.
After defeating fellow American Kyle Daukaus, fighter Bo Niccal praised the president.
“I have to thank President Trump for making this happen,” Nickal told White in an interview inside the Octagon, adding that Trump is “a special person.” Mr. Trump appeared to enjoy the praise.
Critics see Trump as lining his own pockets
Trump’s critics have argued that the event lacked dignity or was unfit for the White House, but those are matters of subjective taste, said Jeffrey Engel, founding director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
The trouble for Mr. Engel is that the president is profiting from it. He noted that the President’s Trust purchased between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the UFC, in March.
“What I think is indisputable is that the president of the United States is using the White House and using the White House lawn to line his own pockets,” he said. “We’re seeing huge multinational corporations literally putting their logos in sight of the White House television.”
The cage featured ads for Crypto.com and Scotts Miracle-Gro, among other brands, including Trump’s Truth Social platform.
Barbara Res, a former executive vice president at the Trump Organization who oversaw construction, said she was surprised that Trump even celebrated his birthday.
“He hates his birthday,” she said, recalling an incident in the late 1980s when some of Trump’s female employees decided to throw him a surprise birthday party.
“They had the cake made to look like a record,” said Les, who worked on major projects such as New York’s Trump Tower in the 1980s.
“He wanted it to end quickly,” she said. “He didn’t like people taking vacations.”
The only reason Trump planned this extravagant celebration, she said, was “to make money for himself.”
“He thinks it makes him look like a big shot,” she said.
But for Trump supporters and event attendees, the event was a show of strength and patriotism.
Shouts of “USA! USA! USA!” echoed throughout the People’s Hall and the grounds.
