Reporter’s Notebook: Trump and UFC Defeat the Critics With Enormous Success at Birthday Bash Full of Fights on the White House Lawn

President Trump may never have had such an appreciative audience. From the spectacle of the fighters walking down the many rear steps of the White House to the violence of the blows and the kicks to the pummeling of downed fighters wrestling on the mat, the Ultimate Fighting Championship celebration of Mr. Trump’s 80th birthday was not only unprecedented in presidential history but also ultimate evidence of why the president enjoys such popularity in the face of a multitude of detractors.In between the seven fights, most of which were mercifully brief, the two dozen or so big screens showed the event to the thousands on the Ellipse nowhere near the fighting taking place in the UFC-sponsored Octagon fitted beneath a giant steel “claw.”Images and voices portrayed great moments in American history from the Revolution onward. Soldiers in tricornered hats and great capes reenacted marches and heroic battles that took place in sleet and snow, not the humid swampland of Washington, D.C. Between the battle hymns could be heard snatches of songs, some more than a little dated.Strains of “YMCA” and “American Pie” reverberated across the South Lawn, reserved for several thousand with VIP passes, and the President’s Park South, where the vast majority of the 80,000 or so attendees watched with visceral adulation. The evening drew nothing but cheers.Banners and signs saying “UFC Freedom 250” — marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding — were emblazoned everywhere, from video screens to the plastic cups in which beer was served free of charge. Not a hiss nor a boo permeated the air. Had anyone asked, the crowd surely would have affirmed its lopsided vote for the president.The Marine Corps Band blared the Star-Spangled Banner and a pretty young woman draped in an American flag introduced each bout. Chants of “USA, USA, USA” burst out repeatedly for the American fighters, most of whom won their matches. President Trump, seated off one edge of the Octagon, shook hands with the winners but didn’t have to make any speeches to turn the event into a smash hit with a compelling admixture of unadulterated patriotism, pomp and circumstance, and violence.Beside a fence surrounding one of the big screens, several tough-looking guys from California and Massachusetts reveled in the fun. “We flew here for the weekend,” one of the Californians told The New York Sun. “We came here just for this.” Around the corner, a man from Puerto Rico watched with his family. “I don’t want to miss anything,” he said. “I will never see anything like this again.”The price of admission no doubt helped account for the crowd size. Entry was free, though tickets were supposed to be ordered in advance. Even without finding a name on the list of attendees, after a litany of excuses, a gatekeeper gave way to the unticketed.The crowds of mostly young people were there to see the fighting but did not seem disappointed by the overwhelming exhibitions that filled the time more than the actual fights. Rows of uniformed senior officers from America’s Armed Forces and members of the Metropolitan Police lined the way to the Octagon. Congressional Medal of Honor winners awarded for their service in America’s foreign wars escorted fighters down the steps. Video replayed previous fights.The link between the fighting in the Octagon and America’s military prowess was made even more obvious by the presence of huge military vehicles — a naval landing craft, an Army troop carrier, and a giant Marine amphibious landing vehicle. They were all guarded by trim troops happy to explain their importance. The Air Force offered the most dramatic display as fighter planes roared overhead while Mr. Trump and UFC CEO Dana White stepped out of the White House to make their entrance before the fighting began. Security was in the hands of thousands from every service, from Washington D.C.’s police force to National Park Police to soldiers from the Army’s National Guard, on duty at Mr. Trump’s behest since August 2025 to make the capital safe. Uniformed federal marshals from the Department of Justice hung around one entrance, not far from men bearing “USSS” – U.S. Secret Service — on their uniforms, Asked why the UFC got to stage such an event, one of the marshals responded laconically, “That’s what the president likes.”Outside the Ellipse, streets in all directions were closed for blocks, guarded by Metro Police and National Guard troops.Inside the Octagon, all the fights ended with knockouts or technical knockouts, whenever referees and doctors ruled enough was enough. The fights were supposed to go to at least three five-minute rounds, but most ended in the first or second rounds. To the fans’ delight, the final card, American Justin Gaethje vs. a Spaniard of Georgian descent, Ilia Topuria, offered a notable, climactic exception. It looked as though Mr. Gaethje had Mr. Topuria beaten in the third round when he had him down on the canvas, landing punches, but Mr. Topuria somehow slipped out, badly bruised and bloodied but unbowed. They sparred for a fourth round until Mr. Topuria gave up. The fans in the Ellipse let loose one enormous roar and began streaming out to buses and subway trains running well past their normal closing time to accommodate what may have been the most popular sporting event in the history of the nation’s capital.

Reporter’s Notebook: Trump and UFC Defeat the Critics With Enormous Success at Birthday Bash Full of Fights on the White House Lawn

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