--- title: Could a Federal Lawsuit Stop the UFC Fight at White House on Trump's Birthday? description: "The basic question we need ask as a country is whether we want to use our most sacred national monuments to enrich the President and his allies?" Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told TIME. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/06/08/ufc-fight-white-house-arena-construction-lawsuit-trump-birthday/ author: Tiago Ventura article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-06-08T16:23:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-06-08T19:01:35.132Z article:section: Politics og:title: Could a Federal Lawsuit Stop the UFC Fight at White House on Trump's Birthday? Here's What to Know og:description: "The basic question we need ask as a country is whether we want to use our most sacred national monuments to enrich the President and his allies?" Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told TIME. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/06/08/ufc-fight-white-house-arena-construction-lawsuit-trump-birthday/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt035974becf989ded/6a26ebb04d21180f35f81332/GettyImages-2279113743.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2279113743.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Could a Federal Lawsuit Stop the UFC Fight at White House on Trump's Birthday? Here's What to Know twitter:description: "The basic question we need ask as a country is whether we want to use our most sacred national monuments to enrich the President and his allies?" Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told TIME. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt035974becf989ded/6a26ebb04d21180f35f81332/GettyImages-2279113743.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Could a Federal Lawsuit Stop the UFC Fight at White House on Trump's Birthday? Here's What to Know > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Dana White on Trump, the Manosphere, and UFC at the White House [Watch (HLS stream): Dana White on Trump, the Manosphere, and UFC at the White House](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xOhGVA3k.m3u8) (20:02)  _Published 2026-06-01. Inside Dana White's friendship with President Trump and his plans for UFC Freedom 250._  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Jun 8, 2026 4:23 PM UTC  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Jun 8, 2026 4:23 PM UTC A federal lawsuit is seeking to stop the [Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event](https://time.com/article/2026/05/26/dana-white-ufc-white-house-fight-interview/) scheduled to take place on the White House lawn on Sunday. Filed on behalf of two Virginia residents by the self-described anti-corruption law firm [Public Integrity Project](https://publicintegrityproject.org/what-we-do), the lawsuit argues the cage-fighting event titled “UFC Freedom 250” is “deeply corrupt.” Set to honor America’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s birthday, the event is being organized by the UFC, whose chief executive, [Dana White](https://time.com/7020074/dana-white-ufc-sphere-trump-interview/), “is a close friend and ally of the President,” the [lawsuit](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.293217/gov.uscourts.dcd.293217.1.0.pdf) reads. “The President is giving White and his company what none have enjoyed before: unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access,” the legal challenge continues. In a statement accompanying the lawsuit filed over the weekend, Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs—a retired government employee and a Vietnam War veteran—[said](https://publicintegrityproject.org/the-latest/public-integrity-project-sues-to-stop-corrupt-white-house-ufc-fight): “This is a profoundly corrupt scheme to enrich the President and his friends.” “If this fight is allowed to proceed, it will be only the beginning, and our national monuments will become little more than branding opportunities for the rich and well-connected,” he continued. “We plan to stop that." Elaborating further, Ballou told TIME in an emailed statement: “The basic question we need ask as a country is whether we want to use our most sacred national monuments to enrich the President and his allies? We think the question answers itself.” Judge Amit P. Mehta of the Federal District Court in Washington on Monday asked the legal teams in the case to propose a schedule to ​hear the emergency request, his office confirmed to TIME. When asked backstage during a Miami UFC fight in April why he wanted to host a sporting event as part of the nation’s anniversary celebrations, Trump [told](https://time.com/article/2026/05/26/dana-white-ufc-white-house-fight-interview/) TIME: “Well, No. 1, I like it.” He went on to display his faith in White, adding, “the job he’s done is second to none. I’ve never seen anything like it.” White played a role in Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, [introducing](https://youtu.be/anZ%5F4mf6BWE?t=323) him at the [Republican National Convention](https://time.com/6999314/republican-convention-best-photos/) and helping the campaign connect with younger male voters. The lawsuit hones in on this relationship, noting that Trump [disclosed owning](https://extapps2.oge.gov/201/Presiden.nsf/PAS+Index/405E4EC4E27BE8D185258DF7002DD1C0/$FILE/Trump%2C%20Donald%20J.-05.08.2026-278T%282%29.pdf) between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Group Holdings, UFC’s parent company, in March while in the process of promoting the event. A second claim centers on the legality of constructing temporary structures on the South Lawn. According to the complaint, the Administration requires “express authorization from Congress and a thorough environmental review,” neither of which plaintiffs argue has occurred. The National Park Service [previously amended](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/17/2025-11155/national-capital-region-america250-events) regulations governing the National Capital Region to facilitate planning for the 250th anniversary of American independence. But the lawsuit argues the UFC event does not qualify under those provisions. “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 lawsuit says, citing language from the amended regulations. Richard J. Pierce, professor of law at George Washington University, tells TIME that while the plaintiffs allege that NPS regulations strictly limit private use of the Capital’s national monumental spaces, these regulations tend to be viewed as “general guidance for the public, but not legally binding on the agency itself.” A win on these grounds would be incredibly hard to come by, according to experts. The National Park Service essentially falls under the control of the President, says Pierce, “so if there's a rule that gets in the way of this, they can change the rule.” Construction of the UFC cage is well underway, with the White House’s official social media account posting an updated [promotional video](https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2063790148878234068) on Sunday. “One week away. UFC X White House. Buckle up. It’s about to go down,” the post read. The complaint asks the court to “temporarily restrain, preliminarily enjoin, and permanently enjoin” the government from allowing the event to use both the South Lawn and the Lincoln Memorial. An Administration official has dismissed the legal challenge as “obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory,” insisting this event is “no different than the various other White House-hosted events on the South Lawn.” The case is the latest legal challenge involving construction projects associated with the Trump Administration. On Friday, a three-judge federal appeals panel heard arguments over whether construction of Trump’s grandiose [White House ballroom](https://time.com/article/2026/06/05/republicans-vote-to-block-trump-white-house-ballroom/) should continue after the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued following the [demolition](https://time.com/7327200/trump-white-house-ballroom-east-wing-demolition/) of the East Wing last year. The UFC event is part of a broader series of physical changes Trump has pursued at the White House and the wider Washington area during his second term. Those projects include his [efforts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJUW2me08qw) in "making the reflecting pool beautiful again” and plans for a [250-foot triumphal arch](https://time.com/article/2026/05/28/trump-arch-plans-democrat-legislation-construction-projects-backlash/) nearby Arlington National Cemetery, which House Democrats are attempting to block through [legislation](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9047/text?s=2&r=2&hl=Arlington+National+Cemetery) introduced on May 29. Pierce characterises these projects as largely “awful but lawful,” because while they may violate institutional cultural norms, they typically remain under the law. ### Democrats rally against UFC event as arena is constructed on White House lawn Democrats have largely united in opposition to the UFC fight night, linking it to Trump’s other construction projects. “A billion dollar ballroom. A UFC arena. Trump is turning the White House into his personal playground while he does nothing to address rising health care costs, soaring energy bills, or deliver on any of the promises he made to get himself elected,” [claimed](https://x.com/maziehirono/status/2061811127000908283) Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. The criticism comes as Americans continue to face higher living costs amid the [ongoing Iran war](https://time.com/article/2026/06/08/israel-iran-war-direct-attacks-latest-ceasefire-trump-netanyahu-lebanon/) and disruption to the [Strait of Hormuz,](https://time.com/article/2026/03/17/what-is-the-strait-of-hormuz-global-trade-oil-flow-iran-war/) a vital waterway through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply passes. “A UFC ring, a White House ballroom…it’s like Donald Trump will do literally anything else besides lower the cost of gas, groceries, child care, and housing,” [argued](https://x.com/RepSaraJacobs/status/2062296137684390199) Rep. Sara Jacobs of California. Trump, who has previously [dismissed concerns around America’s rising living costs](https://time.com/article/2026/05/20/democrats-criticize-trump-dismissing-soaring-gas-prices-iran-war-fallout/), has been accused of being out of touch amid the economic fallout of the Iran war. “Trump is building a golden ballroom, and for his birthday party—arranging a UFC fight on the White House grounds—while you're fighting to pay this month's bills,” [said](https://x.com/SenAdamSchiff/status/2059354070922506640) Sen. Adam Schiff of California in late May. “Could he be more out of touch?” ## Transcript I don't judge people by their politics. I don't I judge you by are you or are you not a *********? We profiled Dana White for the cover of time because he's the CEO of the UFC. And in case you haven't heard, the UFC is staging a special event at the white House in June. It's a spectacle that will essentially serve as the unofficial opening of the summer long celebration of the United States's 250th anniversary. Then on Sunday, we will have the broadcast that's happening from the South Lawn. Our set design is going to be the most iconic building in America, the white House. So whatever we do, we need to have clear view of that from our main camera. One shot. And that is there. I guess this is the White House's issue, but like the security must be insane. Like, is the Air Force just going to be whether it be planes protecting the space. Coming. You're jumping the gun. I'm jumping the gun. Okay. It also serves as a career capstone for wife whose clout is only growing both inside and outside the Octagon. He played a crucial role in Trump's 2024 campaign. He introduced him at the Republican National Convention. The seventh president of the United States, Donald J. Trump and helped him reach young male voters. Let's give a round of applause to Donald Trump. Let's go. Here we go. Really good. My son's a big fan of yours, Barron. Really? Barron is? Yeah. Um, so every day I come in here, I work out, start my day, do my. Whether or not you admire White's unfiltered, profane leadership style or his unapologetic embrace of the type of masculinity that's now synonymous with America's political leadership, you cannot deny that he's now at the peak of his powers. What's the biggest challenge of staging a fight at the white House? Obviously, security, Um financial, um, outdoors. And there's a lot of things that I don't even know about yet. So, uh, there, there are the challenges that I know about and there are the challenges that are going to pop up over the next couple of months. So somebody pointed this out in a meeting that we just had. So, so, you know, so this isn't Republican and Democrat. Every weekend we do red corner, blue corner, but it looks like Republicans and Democrats, which it is not. Yeah. Is there anything about it that you're nervous about? I'm never nervous. I'm never nervous. I have this weird thing where I just want it to be over, you know what I mean? It's like. And you don't want to live your life that way. You're going into this incredible one on one experience, and like, all you want it to do is be over. But that's what I do to myself. Instead of being nervous or any of that stuff, I just want to, I want to get it, get it done, nail it, and move on. I interviewed White in Vegas at the UFC headquarters in late March, and then I traveled to Miami to watch UFC 327 the night I was there, Saturday, April 11th. The event made headlines not just because Trump was there, but because he was there, while Vice President Vance was at the same time announcing that peace talks with Iran had failed. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that's bad news for Iran, much more than it's bad news for the United States of America. So Trump is a bona fide UFC buff. So when I talked to him before the fight about why he's staging an event at the white House, he said, quote, well, number one, I like it going. Back a little bit. Your first meeting with Donald Trump ever was, I believe, at a fight, your first fight as UFC president. UFC 30. UFC 30. At the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic. City. You explain. Just take us through that first meeting and what stood out to you. So we did the deal to go to the Taj for our first fight. And he, uh, he showed up for the first prelim of the night and stayed till the last fight of the night. Um. He became a fan. And what I you know, what I remember the most about it was, you know, you think the Trump brand was up there, the UFC brand down here. He could not have been a nicer guy. He could not have treated us any better. Um, and that's what really sort of kicked off our, you know, 25 year relationship. Trump told me. And I'm going to read from my notes right now because I want to get the quote correct. That first night I went home, I said, this is the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen. The punishment, you know, it's violent. But when I look at some of these other things, like the bare knuckle stuff, it's not that. And then he trailed off. And he obviously meant it's not that violent. In 2016, Trump asked his friend Dana White to talk at the Republican National Convention. My whole life, I know fighters. Ladies and gentlemen, Donald Trump is a fighter and I know he will fight for this country. And how would you describe your friendship with him now? I think you've called him one of your best friends. Is that fair? Yeah. He and I are very, very close. And when you think about what you would deem a best friend in your life, he is definitely one of those guys. How does the UFC represent America in your in your opinion? I think the coolest thing about the UFC is it represents everywhere. Every fighter that comes in from wherever in the United States, Brazil, Canada, the rest of the world, um, they all get to represent their people and what their people stand for. And I always have this thing where when somebody comes from where you come from, looks like you, talks like you and is looked at as the baddest man or woman in the world, the entire country rallies around it. You and Trump, you've said you don't talk politics. How would you describe Dana White, your relationship to the Maga movement? My relationship to the Maga movement, um, my relationship is more with a, you know, another human, uh, Donald Trump. He has been an incredibly, incredibly good friend to me. Um, and our relationship has never been about what we could do for each other. You know, I was always just fine. He was always just fine. We just clicked. We're both fight fans. Uh, you know, stuff got nasty when he got into politics. But the man's never been anything but a good friend of me, even before we were really good friends. You've said after Trump won the second time, you talked about politics. I'm never doing this again. I want nothing to do with this. It's gross. It's disgusting. I want nothing to do with politics. Talk about politics. Um, but you're having a fight at the white House. Do you not see the white House fight as political? And why not at all? No. Why? Why not? Well, it's on the birthday of America. I mean, it's the 250th birthday of America. Um, what better place to celebrate it than the white House? Um, and the thing that you have to understand about me is I respect whoever is the president of the United States. It isn't about red or blue or politics for me. Um, you know, I told you a story. At Madison Square Garden, uh, Secret Service had crossed paths, and apparently Biden's granddaughter was at the event. And when I found that out, I had, um, Secret Service. I said, bring her to me. I'd love to meet her. And, you know, to treat her with the respect that. And, uh, apparently she had left when she heard that that that President Trump was coming. But, you know, whoever is the president of the United States is my president, I'm an American. And for me to have the ability to. Especially if you look at where we came from as a sport and as a company, to be able to celebrate the 250th birthday of America at the white House on the South Lawn. Yeah. And this isn't a political statement. This event, this event is for all Americans. Um, and it's about America. I know you're not very political, but are there any issues that are important to you? Not fight related that you feel like you want to talk about, if any? No. The way that I live my life is I try to be a good person. I try to be a good human being. Um, you know, I try to take care of my employees, my family, my friends. Um, I try to help people that are in need. Um, if I can, if there's anything that I can do to help, um, you know. I don't ever get caught up in, in, uh, Judging people by their politics or, you know, and I take slack from this on the right. You know what I mean? That that I, I don't judge people by their politics. I don't I judge you by are you or are you not a *********? If you're a *********, highly likely that I will not be friends with you and whatever. But, um, I don't judge people on there. I'm friends with people on the far left and I'm friends with people on the far right, and I consider myself right down the middle. Whites appointment to the board of Meta in January 2025 is another indication that his perspective is becoming mainstream. What are your impressions of Zuckerberg from your time on the board? One of the most impressive human beings that I've ever met in my life. I mean, I you and I talked a little earlier. I like killers, I like Michael Jordan, I like Tyson, you know, I like Carl Icahn and these type of guys. And, uh, Mark Zuckerberg might be the biggest killer I've ever met in my life. This guy is. What I love about him is the amount of money and success that he's had has not even slowed him down a bit. It's just more. More what's next, what's next? And fascinating. There's some stuff going on in here in the UFC that I guarantee you I don't know about right now. There's anything that goes on in any of those businesses that he doesn't know about. Not only does he not know what's going on, he knows everybody who's working on everything, and he's always evaluating them and seeing if they're taking everything to the next level. One of the most fascinating absolute killers that I've ever met in my life. At UFC headquarters. In Las Vegas, white shows me his collections, and he calls himself, quote, unapologetically masculine. And then over here, this is actually a real samurai from the early 1600s. And then two of the swords over there are actually from a samurai Lord. The deerskin on the handles are still the original deerskin. Wow. And then that is probably the nicest saber toothed tiger skull you will ever see. It's the full skull of the animal. The the teeth, the jaw, the head, everything. This was my son's first fight. So in South Boston, every year on Saint Patty's Day, all the local kids fight. So my son's like, I want I want to fight. I want to fight in the Saint Patty's Day card. So he trained for it. We went there and that was his first fight. How old was he? Oh, God. He was probably 15. That is a Tom Brady refractor. Only seven of those exist in the world. And my buddy owns another one of them. There's a lot of, uh, manosphere here. There's a lot of talk about the manosphere this years, these days, the manosphere. Do you consider yourself part of the manosphere? I consider myself a man. That's what I consider myself. And there's nothing I hate worse than men that don't act like men. So if that puts me in the manosphere, then I guess I'm in. And we've talked about mental health men talking about their mental health. We talked about inside in two years ago. You don't think men. Why don't you think men should be open publicly about their mental health struggles? Well, I, I think that it's unfortunately, when you're a man, there are certain obligations you have as a man, especially if you're a man that's going to get married and start a family. The man has a job in the relationship and in the family unit, and a woman has a job inside the family unit. Every day when you wake up as a man, you are responsible for your family and to make sure that you, you know, from providing and, and, uh, uh, support for your wife, uh, raising your children. You play a huge role in raising your children. And I just think that if you're the type of person, you're a man that needs to, uh, get therapy or do whatever, then then then you do that on your own and you do it, but you stay this strong figure inside the family. So that, I mean, if you start breaking down mentally, what does that do to your kids when they see that what is, you know, what does that do to your wife when she sees it? It's, it's, uh, you know, it's the cross we bear as, as men and as fathers and as the head of the family. It's just I, I just I'm not saying that that men don't have mental health problems. Um, I mean, I think everybody has their moments where, like, holy, the world's coming down on me. And, uh, you know, you get through that day, you go home, you get some sleep, and you got to get back up out of bed the next day and get ready to kick some more ***. It's just it's what you do as a man and what you do as a husband and a father. Is it a sign. Of it's never going to change? I mean, you could be a bachelor and not get married and not have kids, and you can do whatever the hell you want to do, right? But if you're going to raise a family, and I don't believe in this, let's go on a date and you pay half the you know, I'm not going to not open the car door or the door for a woman. I'm just. I'm that guy. Maybe I'm too old school. Maybe that's what it is. But that's never going to change with me. Is it a sign of weakness, in your opinion, if a man is mentally talking about. And. Yeah, okay. It's definitely a sign of weakness. I mean, there's no other way to look at it. It's like, no, it's not fair. It's not fair. Life's not fair. You're right. Life's not fair. But let me tell you what there are every day when you go to work or you go out in the real world. There are people that are looking to take what you have, take your position, probably guys that want your job over at Time magazine. I don't know the layout, but it exists. They're out there and that's the way it is. And the world is isn't a nice place. It's not all, you know, sunshine and rainbows, man. There's there's some bad days out there. And as a man and as the head of your family, you're the guy that has to deal with all of it. You're the man who has to protect your family if bad things go down. And yeah, I very much believe in all of that to my core. Um, you've described the UFC as unapologetically masculine. How do you do you want to appeal to you, to female fans? How do female fans connect with UFC in this masculine environment? Yeah, I think that listen, there's a lot of women out there that, that, uh. Obviously appeal to whatever you want to call this as we keep talking masculine. This is the fight business, right? There's a lot of tough guys and tough girls that that that compete in this business. But you know, there are a lot of women out there, not fighters, but that are wired like this too, that love a great fight, this, this energy and buzz that is unexplainable. But you, you feel it and you enjoy it. One memorable phone interview I had with him was we were doing a piece in 2007 on the rise of women's MMA, and he said, they're basically over my dead body. Will there ever be women in the UFC? And then a few years later, um, Ronda Rousey and other, uh, women UFC fighters became very prominent. And I enjoyed having a follow up conversation with Dana about that. And he admitted that he was wrong. But that said, there are no women at the white House card this year with the card. I think some folks were surprised there were no women on the card. Can you just explain what happened there? Yeah, there was supposed to be women on the card. I wanted women on the card. It just didn't work out that way. You know, when you're dealing with making fights, you know you're dealing with injuries, personal problems, this, that. I mean, there's so many different reasons why a fight is made at a certain time instead of a different another fight. And my, the only thing I really cared about going into this card was having people that I could depend on being on the card fighters that, you know, they're going to deal with levels of stress and weird, um, things that they're not used to. For instance, when they, the night of the fight, when they show up, they're going to have to go through crazy security. We're going to be inside rooms in the white House. They're used to going to arenas where they have, you know, rooms that are laid out for them and all that. So you need not only the best fights that you can possibly make because they mean something and they matter. In our ecosystem, you also need fighters you can trust that are going to show up and deliver And mentally and emotionally be able to deal with the different atmosphere that they're going to be in that night. And that is the card we built. Five years from now. Where do you see the UFC? Well, we're going to we're going to continue to go into territories that we haven't been into. We're going to Serbia this year. We're going to Spain. Still want to go to Africa. Um, that's my top three hit list right now. And then in five years, I hope to have boxing in a much better place than it is right now. And, uh, my other company, Power slap. Why is slap power Slap you still think it's going to be bigger than UFC? It does a billion views a month, right? A billion views a month. It's incredible. It's an incredible business. Um, and yes, I think it will be bigger than the UFC because more people understand it. Because it's just slapping. Slapping. You know, with power slap. I have talked to doctors and they say it's incredibly dangerous, but the audience can't seem to get enough of it. If you're still not sure what to think about Dana White, that's one thing. But the UFC itself is now firmly established in American culture. This year, Paramount acquired exclusive rights to all UFC events, which means that fights will be shown on CBS in the Saturday night slot that once was home to Doctor Quinn, medicine woman Ashley Graham. She'll remember. Whoever they were, they didn't want to hurt her. I'm literally looking down at how I'm going to kick 2026 ***. And, uh, that's how I that's my mantra. Like, I am going to absolutely kick the out of 2026. Yeah. 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