WASHINGTON (AURN News) — A legal battle is underway over President Donald Trump’s plan to host a UFC event on the White House South Lawn. Two Washington-area residents have filed a federal lawsuit against the National Park Service and the Interior Department, asking a judge to block what is being called UFC Freedom 250, a mixed martial arts event scheduled for June 14.
The event would include fights on the South Lawn, fighter walkouts from the Oval Office and a ceremonial weigh-in at the Lincoln Memorial. The lawsuit argues the event violates federal rules that generally prohibit sporting events at both locations and claims the administration improperly used a special America 250 exemption intended for government-organized semiquincentennial celebrations.
Plaintiffs also challenge the construction of a massive steel structure known as The Claw, which court filings describe as a “92-foot-tall, 600-ton structure.”
They argue the project required congressional approval and an environmental review before construction began.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
