A new federal lawsuit filed by two Virginia residents is seeking to halt a planned UFC event on the White House South Lawn, launching yet another legal fight over President Donald Trump’s 250th anniversary celebration plans and drawing accusations of “lawfare” from supporters of the administration.
The complaint, filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of Vietnam War veteran Paul Romano and senior citizen activist Susan Douglas, challenges the Trump administration’s plan to host a mixed martial arts event on White House grounds as part of the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations, arguing the spectacle exceeds executive authority and improperly converts federal property into a private venue.
At the center of the dispute is a June 14 event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which the White House has framed as part of broader America 250 commemorations. The lawsuit contends the fight card is “not in any material sense” a national celebration, but rather a commercial spectacle tied to the UFC brand and benefiting both UFC leadership and Trump-aligned business interests.
The plaintiffs argue that the construction of a large-scale fighting arena on the South Lawn, along with associated staging at national landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial, required congressional approval and environmental review under federal law. They further claim the event amounts to an unauthorized use of government land for private financial gain.
According to the filing, the UFC is selling high-end sponsorship and VIP packages ranging into the seven-figure tier, while additional revenue streams include media rights and promotional partnerships. The complaint also cites Trump’s investment in UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, as a potential conflict of interest.
Brendan Ballou, founder of the Public Integrity Project and lead counsel in the case, described the planned event as a “profoundly corrupt scheme” that turns national monuments into branding opportunities for private entities. The lawsuit also alleges that the temporary construction on the South Lawn constitutes a major federal action that should have triggered environmental review procedures.
Romano and Douglas, argue they frequently use and visit the National Mall and surrounding areas and are directly harmed by what they describe as the “aesthetic injury” of converting historic civic spaces into a commercial venue.
One plaintiff, Romano, said in a statement that staging a “for-profit cage fight” at sites such as the White House and Lincoln Memorial represents a misuse of sacred national symbols. The suit also challenges the use of the Lincoln Memorial for ceremonial weigh-ins and other promotional events tied to the fight card.
The Trump administration has dismissed the lawsuit as an attempt to obstruct a lawful and publicly authorized celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, arguing the UFC event falls within permitted commemorative programming. Officials have compared it to other large-scale events hosted on federal grounds and say it is being conducted in coordination with proper approvals.
A White House official, in a statement to ESPN defended the event, called the suit “obstructionist” and without merit, insisting the planned programming is consistent with prior national celebrations and accusing critics of attempting to derail a historic public spectacle.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta — an Obama appointed judge — who will first determine whether the plaintiffs have standing to proceed before considering an emergency injunction request aimed at stopping construction and halting the event altogether.
The lawsuit adds to a growing series of legal challenges targeting high-profile Trump-era initiatives in Washington, D.C., many of which center on claims of improper use of federal property and executive authority. However, the pattern reflects an increasingly aggressive use of litigation to delay or derail political and cultural events tied to the president’s agenda.
A ruling on the injunction request is expected in the coming days as construction continues on the South Lawn ahead of the scheduled fight.