A trial filed Saturday against the federal government is asking a judge to stop an Ultimate Fighting Championship event scheduled for this week on the White House lawn.
The suit, filed by the Public Integrity Project, a watchdog group, on behalf of two plaintiffs, is another incident in which private citizens or activist groups have attempted to thwart projects championed by President Donald Trump.
The event, a fight the night supposedly in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary, is scheduled for June 14, Trump’s birthday.
The lawsuit says UFC CEO Dana White, a longtime Trump ally who was his campaign surrogate, denied that the timing of the event was a celebration of Trump’s birthday. But, according to the lawsuit, White admitted the fight was Trump’s idea.
Before the event, a 92-foot-tall, 600-ton fighting ring, dubbed “The Claw,” was erected on the South Lawn of the White House.
The suit claims the fight is “private” and “for-profit,” and it alleges that even though the UFC claims it is “eating” the cost of the event and not selling tickets, “the event will likely be profitable for the UFC and its partners.”
The suit names the National Park Service and members of its leadership, as well as the Department of the Interior and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, as defendants. The Public Integrity Project filed suit on behalf of two plaintiffs, Susan Douglas, an activist, and Paul Romano, a Vietnam War veteran, who claim in the filing that they are suffering “cosmetic” and “procedural harm” as a result of the planned event.
The White House and National Park Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The UFC, which is not named as a defendant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House was promotion of the event Sunday evening onposting video of “The Claw” being built alongside clips of Trump at past UFC events, claiming it would be “the biggest fight in UFC history.”
“Fasten your seat belt. It’s about to go down,” the post captioned the post.
The suit alleges that the White House and the Lincoln Memorial — which is supposed to host the fighters’ pre-fight weigh-in ceremony — are being used inappropriately for the event and that “The Claw” was erected without congressional approval.
The suit also claims the UFC and its partners stand to gain from the fight, claiming the organization sells VIP and sponsorship packages. And, it is claimed, while some preliminary fights will air on cable networks, the “main card” will air exclusively on CBS’ streaming service, Paramount+.
The lawsuit also alleges that Trump himself stands to gain from the profits of the fight. Trump’s financial information according to last month’s show, he invested between $15,000 and $50,000 in TKO, the UFC’s parent company, in March.
Last year, Trump presided over a military parade honoring the military’s 250th anniversary. The event took place on his birthday.
The administration has been sued by groups seeking to block construction from Trump’s ballroom in the East Wing of the White House. A lower court suspended construction, a decision the Trump administration appealed.
The administration was also sued by a group seeking to prevent the construction of a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
