President Donald Trump has never been one to let tradition get in the way of a spectacle. On Thursday, he announced plans to mark America’s 250th birthday with a UFC fight on the White House lawn, promising a crowd of up to 25,000. “We have a lot of land there,” Trump said, as if the South Lawn had been waiting for its moment in the Octagon spotlight.
The president’s proposal came during a rally in Iowa, where he kicked off a year-long series of events leading up to the July 4, 2026 milestone. Alongside the UFC extravaganza, Trump teased a festival on the National Mall and a nationwide athletic competition for high schoolers.