Forecast of Rain, Strong Winds During South Lawn UFC Event Triggers Political Fight Over Whose Side Mother Nature Is On

Sunday’s Weather Channel forecast for the swampy Washington, D.C.-area is typical of the season — high humidity, possible thunderstorms, and a heat index raising perceived temperatures into the triple digits. The Weather Channel, AccuWeather, and the National Weather Service are all forecasting the potential for severe storms on Sunday evening. The National Weather Service issued a “Hazardous Weather Outlook” for the Washington, D.C.–Baltimore region. So, it would seem the forecast is a perfect storm — for a social media-fueled fight over President Trump’s birthday celebration, the UFC cage match on the White House lawn, set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday night.“The weather is fine,” an X user who goes by “Clandestine” and has nearly 800,000 followers wrote. “The Weather Channel has been weaponized by the Left for political reasons. Absolute insanity. Even throwing in talks about ‘mosquito swarms.’ This is nothing but anti-Trump propaganda, disguised as meteorology. This is madness.”“I Told You All They Will Be Attempting Weather Warfare,” another Trump supporter wrote. By an accident of birth, the president celebrates his birthday on the same day as Flag Day and the birth of the U.S. Army, 171 years his senior. But with the president’s knack for becoming a lightning rod, fans and detractors alike have shared their opinions on the use of the White House lawn to host the seven-fight card on an unofficial American holiday. The corresponding weather forecast is party to the debate.A midday X post by the Weather Channel offering the “UFC Freedom 250” weather prediction, in particular, carried the air of apocalyptic conditions that set off some celebrants. The “chaotic weather setup” called for heavy downpours and 34 mile-per-hour wind gusts. “On top of the storm risk, brutal D.C. humidity is driving a triple-digit heat index alongside massive swarms of mosquitos and gnats that fighters will have to battle inside the cage. While the venue’s massive 92-foot overhang will keep the octagon dry, a single lightning strike within eight miles will trigger an automatic 30-minute freeze on the entire event,” the channel warned. A full-size backdrop image of the dome contributed to the sense of a darkened sky in front of the White House. The White House’s Rapid Response team hit back, calling the weather report fake news and the writer of the X post a “friendless loser.” “This event is about celebrating America’s unmatched greatness after 250 years — which apparently doesn’t sit well with the friendless loser who wrote this bulls–t clickbait headline,” reads the retort. “Rain or shine, we’re celebrating our great country no matter what.” Mr. Trump has a special affinity for the UFC, owned by his friend Dana White, and its fanbase. Unlike at Madison Square Garden where the president was viciously booed by Knicks fans last week, Mr. Trump always gets a warm welcome when he attends fight night. The monthslong celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary have been in the works for 10 years, with no idea at the start who might be president at the time. The official government-sanctioned celebration organization is America250. Now, with Mr. Trump in office and taking a more assertive role in planning the Independence Day parties, many Americans have decided to shun larger celebrations. Last month, a number of artists pulled out of an event that they say was sold to them as a nonpartisan semi-quincentennial celebration, but they later learned was set up by Freedom 250 — a complementary outside spending group run by Mr. Trump’s allies. Later this month, the president plans to give a campaign-style speech on the National Mall as part of the Freedom 250 events, in place of musical performances.With the backlash from artists and the public over the politicized Independence Day celebrations, the president’s supporters are especially raw. The comic-turned-billionaire businessman, Byron Allen, who owns The Weather Channel, has been critical of the president in the past.The media mogul, whose late-night TV program Comics Unleashed took over the timeslot held by Late Night With Stephen Colbert on the newly revamped CBS, promised not to talk politics on his new show. Some suggested he was forecasting his political opinions elsewhere. “In case you were wondering, the owner of The Weather Channel is Byron Allen,” wrote X user and “unapologetic” Trump supporter Gina Milan. “Their raging TDS makes a hell of a lot more sense now.”“Sad that such a trusted source of information has twisted into such a ridiculous non-serious internet troll,” Congressman Jimmy Patronis, a Florida Republican, said. Democrats, meanwhile, were more than happy to revel in schadenfreude. Governor Gavin Newsom curtly wished a “happy eight decades around the sun to America’s biggest loser” before sharing The Weather Channel’s post. “Imagine being triggered by THE WEATHER. True snowflake behavior!” he said.Congressman Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, joked about what a great use of tax dollars the UFC event would end up being, even though the $60 million event was privately funded by the UFC’s parent company, TKO Holdings. Others said that the rain would be evidence that God is, in fact, real.“So you’re saying the Trump-hating boss has power over the weather and made it liberal?” posted the parody X account, “The Tweet of God,” in response to the White House. “It’s the least I can do. Which is what I’ve been doing,” the account holder joked.

Forecast of Rain, Strong Winds During South Lawn UFC Event Triggers Political Fight Over Whose Side Mother Nature Is On

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