Donald Trump’s UFC birthday bash may have delivered a packed arena, but a brutal new poll shows Americans were not impressed by the made-for-TV spectacle.
The event, dubbed “UFC Freedom 250,” was staged on Sunday as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary—but conveniently coincided with Trump’s 80th birthday.
More than 4,000 spectators packed a specially constructed arena on the South Lawn, where Trump watched alongside first lady Melania Trump and UFC CEO Dana White.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump hailed the White House UFC event as a major success, praising the fighters’ performances, the unexpectedly good weather and the venue’s atmosphere.
“The UFC at the White House last night was incredible. The weather was scheduled to be horrendous, and it turned out to be PERFECT! So much for weather predicting. The Fighters were outstanding—Bo Nickal, Justin Gaethje, Ciryl Gane, Sean O’Malley, Josh Hokit, Mauricio Ruffy, and Diego Lopes were all unbelievable!" he wrote.
“Most people have never seen anything like that kind of human speed and power before. The White House has never looked more beautiful. The setting was unsurpassed! Congratulations to Dana White, and his unbelievable UFC. One of the most exciting days in the History of our fabled White House!”
But polling released Monday by Navigator Research, a Democratic-aligned nonprofit, suggests the public is far less enthusiastic about the tacky birthday bash, with most Americans taking a decidedly dimmer view.
The survey found that 56 percent of registered voters opposed Trump’s UFC event, compared with 28 percent in support, resulting in a net approval rating of -28.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
But while the approval rating for the UFC event was deep underwater, it still ranked relatively better than several other of Trump’s recent vanity projects, many of which polled even more poorly.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has sought to leave his mark on Washington, D.C., spending millions on a series of large-scale, self-branded projects and symbolic redesigns of federal spaces.
So far, that has included plans for a 250-foot-tall “Arc de Trump,” modeled after Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, and a $300 million, 90,000‑square‑foot, Mar-a-Lago-style ballroom to replace the White House East Wing.
Trump has also added his signature to all denominations of U.S. bills, marking the first time in U.S. history that a president has added their name to currency, and has proposed printing limited-edition passports and a $250 bill featuring his face to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.
If that wasn’t enough, a 22-foot golden statue of the president was unveiled in May at the Trump National Doral golf course in Miami.
The statue, bought for $450,000, shows Trump raising his right fist in a gesture mirroring the moment he re-emerged after surviving the assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign rally on July 13, 2024.
The Navigator Research survey found the proposed 22-foot gold statue carrying a net approval rating of -44, while plans to place the 80-year-old’s face on passports and a hypothetical $250 bill were rejected with a net approval rating of -38.
A 250-foot triumphal arch also fared poorly, registering a net approval rating of -34.
The most severe backlash came over plans to demolish the White House East Wing and replace it with a $1 billion taxpayer-funded ballroom, with 65 percent of voters opposed and just 22 percent supporting it.
Melissa Toufanian, the managing director of Navigator Research, called the ballroom an example of “mismatching prioritization.”
“It’s an example of that mismatching prioritization, when people want the president to focus on inflation and the cost of living, and what they’re seeing is everything but that,” she said.
Dozens of recent polls show voters increasingly worried about the economy heading into the midterms, amid Trump’s deeply unpopular war in Iran, which has driven up energy prices.
But polling shows that voters think Trump’s attention is anywhere but on the economy at the moment.
The poll showed that while 58 percent of voters said inflation and the cost of living should be the administration’s main focus, only 20 percent believe that is where attention is currently directed.
Even within Trump’s own political base, there was notable unease. A sizeable share of MAGA-aligned Republicans said the projects suggested misplaced priorities, with 31 percent criticizing the proposed ballroom, 29 percent the gold statue plans, and 24 percent the idea of placing his face on passports and a hypothetical $250 bill.
