The Trump administration is urging a federal judge to reject a last-minute lawsuit seeking to block this weekend’s Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House South Lawn, arguing that preparations are too far advanced to stop the highly publicized spectacle.
In a court filing submitted Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the court to deny a request for a temporary restraining order filed by two Virginia residents who are challenging the legality of the event. According to the filing, planning for the UFC card has been underway since President Donald Trump announced it last year, with more than $60 million already invested and thousands of spectators expected to attend.
“All these hopes could be dashed at the very last moment, however, by the whim of two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else,” DOJ attorneys wrote in the filing, according to The Hill.
The lawsuit was brought by retired Air Force Sgt. Paul Romano and political activist Susan Douglas, represented by the Public Integrity Project. The plaintiffs argue that federal agencies failed to comply with environmental review requirements and did not obtain congressional approval for structures associated with the event, including a temporary 92-foot-tall arch known as “The Claw” that is being erected on White House grounds.
The complaint also contends that the event improperly uses federal property for a private, commercial enterprise and alleges that the administration is using America’s 250th anniversary celebration as a pretext to bypass normal permitting requirements.
The administration has rejected those claims, arguing that the UFC event is an official component of the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations and therefore does not require a traditional permit. DOJ attorneys further argued that the plaintiffs lack standing and are unlikely to succeed on the merits of their case.
“It would be easy enough to simply avert their gazes for the weekend,” the DOJ filing stated. “Instead, they seek to enlist the power of a federal court to impose their idiosyncratic preferences on the rest of the country and ruin an event designed to celebrate the United States of America.”
The event, dubbed “UFC Freedom 250,” is scheduled for Saturday on the South Lawn and coincides with Flag Day, President Trump’s 80th birthday, and broader America 250 celebrations. Organizers plan to host six prime-time bouts inside a temporary Octagon constructed on White House grounds, while ceremonial weigh-ins are scheduled to take place at the Lincoln Memorial.
According to court filings, the administration expects attendance in the thousands, while tens of thousands more spectators are expected to gather in surrounding areas. Construction crews have already begun assembling the temporary venue.
The White House has described the event as one of the centerpiece attractions of the America 250 celebration. President Trump recently told reporters that interest in the UFC card has surpassed any other event held during his presidency.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of big events. I have never had an event that has had more interest than the UFC fight we have right at the front door,” Trump said during remarks in the Oval Office.
Trump has maintained a longstanding friendship with UFC President and CEO Dana White, who has been a prominent supporter of the president and frequently appears at political events. Trump has also attended numerous UFC events during both his first and second terms in office.
A federal judge has not yet ruled on the plaintiffs’ request to halt the event, but with the fights scheduled to begin this weekend, the administration is pressing for a swift dismissal of the challenge.
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