A lawsuit filed Saturday against the federal government asks a judge to stop an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House lawn scheduled this week.
The suit, which the Public Integrity Project, a watchdog group, filed on behalf of two plaintiffs, is another incident in which private citizens or activist groups have tried to stymie projects championed by President Donald Trump.
The event, a fight night purportedly 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 a campaign surrogate for him, has denied that the event’s timing is a birthday celebration for Trump. But, the suit says, White acknowledged that the fight was Trump’s idea.
In the lead-up to the event, a 92-foot-tall, 600-ton fighting ring dubbed “The Claw” has been erected on the White House’s South Lawn.
The suit says 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 isn’t 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 Interior Department and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, as defendants. The Public Integrity Project filed the 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 “aesthetic” and “procedural harms” as a result of the planned event.
NBC News reached out to the White House and the National Park Service for comment on Sunday night.
On Monday, an administration official called the lawsuit “obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory” in a statement to NBC News, saying the challenge was brought “simply to prevent President Trump from hosting what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most historic sporting events in our Nation’s history during our semiquincentennial celebration. This iconic event is no different than the various other White House-hosted events on the South Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and National Mall throughout the year.”
The UFC, which is not named as a defendant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
The White House was promoting the event Sunday night on X, posting a video of “The Claw” being built alongside clips of Trump at past UFC events, saying it will be “the biggest fight in UFC history.”
“Buckle up. It’s about to go DOWN,” the post was captioned.
The suit alleges that the White House and the Lincoln Memorial — which is supposed to host ceremonial weigh-ins for fighters before the fight — are being improperly used 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, saying the organization is selling VIP and sponsorship packages. And, it claims, while some preliminary fights will be broadcast on cable networks, the “main card” will be exclusively broadcast on CBS’ streaming service, Paramount+.
The lawsuit also alleges that Trump himself stands to gain from the fight’s earnings. Trump’s financial disclosures from last month show he invested between $15,000 and $50,000 in TKO, UFC’s parent company, in March.
Trump last year presided over a military parade in honor of the Army’s 250th anniversary. The event took place on his birthday.
The administration has been sued by groups seeking to block construction of Trump’s ballroom in the East Wing of the White House. A lower court paused the construction, a move 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.
