A federal judge on Friday refused to stop President Donald Trump from hosting a UFC event on the White House South Lawn this weekend, rejecting an emergency request to block the celebration tied to America’s 250th anniversary and the president’s 80th birthday.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee, ruled that organizers may proceed with Sunday’s planned mixed martial arts event after finding the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate they would suffer irreparable harm if the show moved forward.
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The decision clears the way for the elaborate production that has already transformed part of the White House grounds into a UFC venue.
Mehta, who was appointed to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in 2021, also concluded that the plaintiffs likely lack legal standing to challenge the event.
“In the context of an emergency application — and coupled with the fact that the UFC fight date was long ago known — it is fair to say Plaintiffs unreasonably delayed bringing suit, undercutting their claims of irreparable harm,” Mehta wrote.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys representing the nonprofit Public Integrity Project on behalf of an activist and a Vietnam War veteran.
The plaintiffs sought to block not only the UFC event itself but also the construction of temporary structures erected on White House property for the occasion.
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Among those structures is a 92-foot-tall steel installation known as “The Claw,” which weighs approximately 600 tons.
The plaintiffs argued the event amounts to an improper use of public property for a privately organized, for-profit business venture.
According to court filings, they claimed the administration was providing UFC with an extraordinary commercial opportunity while allowing the organization to stage what they described as a tribute to Trump on his birthday.
The lawsuit also challenged related activities planned near the Lincoln Memorial, where UFC fighters were expected to hold a public press conference before fans.
Mehta rejected arguments that the temporary structures would create lasting harm.
He noted that organizers plan to begin dismantling The Claw on Monday morning and remove staging equipment shortly afterward.
“The President’s musings about permanency of the Claw does not move the dial in the face of a White House official’s clear representation,” the judge wrote.
The White House dismissed the lawsuit as baseless and argued that the event is no different from numerous other public gatherings regularly held on federal property in Washington.
The National Park Service and the Department of the Interior were named as defendants in the case.
Trump has maintained a long relationship with UFC President Dana White and has frequently attended major UFC events.
During his first term in 2019, Trump became the first sitting president to attend a UFC fight card.
Sunday’s event is intended to celebrate both the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary and the president’s birthday.
The ruling marks another legal victory for the administration after opponents sought to stop the highly publicized event only days before it was scheduled to take place.
Mehta, who was nominated to the federal bench by former President Barack Obama, has presided over several high-profile Trump-related cases in recent years.
Those matters have included civil litigation connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The judge’s latest decision focused primarily on procedural issues rather than the broader constitutional questions raised by the lawsuit.
By finding that the plaintiffs waited too long to bring their challenge and failed to demonstrate immediate harm, Mehta concluded there was no basis for issuing emergency relief.
With the injunction denied, preparations for the White House UFC event are expected to continue as planned, NBC News reported.
Barring any further legal action, thousands of invited guests and participants will gather Sunday on the South Lawn for an unprecedented sporting event at the executive mansion, marking one of the most unusual celebrations ever hosted on White House grounds.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
