The White House South Lawn is set to host a UFC fight card on June 14 as part of the Trump administration’s America 250 semiquincentennial programming — but two Virginia residents want a federal judge to stop it before construction goes any further.
The Public Integrity Project filed the complaint Saturday in federal court on behalf of Vietnam War veteran Paul Romano and senior citizen activist Susan Douglas. The suit argues the Trump administration exceeded its executive authority by converting federal property into what the filing calls a commercial venue, and that the temporary arena construction on the South Lawn — along with associated events at the Lincoln Memorial, including promotional weigh-ins — required congressional approval and environmental review that never happened.
The conflict-of-interest claim
At the heart of the case is money. According to the complaint, the UFC is selling sponsorship and VIP packages reaching into seven-figure territory, with additional revenue from media rights and promotional partnerships. Brendan Ballou, founder of the Public Integrity Project and lead counsel, called it a “profoundly corrupt scheme” that turns national monuments into branding opportunities for private entities. The suit also flags Trump’s personal investment in TKO Group Holdings — UFC’s parent company — as a potential conflict of interest.
Romano said in a statement that staging a “for-profit cage fight” at the White House and Lincoln Memorial misuses sacred national symbols. He and Douglas both say they visit the National Mall regularly and claim direct harm from what the filing describes as “aesthetic injury” to historic civic spaces.
A White House official, in a statement to ESPN, called the suit “obstructionist” and without merit. The administration has framed the UFC event as consistent with prior large-scale commemorative programming held on federal grounds and says it was organized with proper approvals.
U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta — appointed by President Obama — has been assigned the case. He’ll first decide whether Romano and Douglas have legal standing before ruling on their emergency injunction request, which would halt construction and cancel the event. A decision is expected within days; construction on the South Lawn is already underway.
Reporting by The Daily Wire. Read the original report.
