Donald Trump’s allies are scrambling to save his White House UFC extravaganza from a last-minute legal challenge.
With just days to go before the president’s 80th birthday fight night on the South Lawn, the Justice Department has asked a federal judge to toss out a lawsuit seeking to block the unprecedented event.
The lawsuit was filed by Susan Douglas and Paul Romano, two Virginia residents who argue that the National Park Service unlawfully approved the event and that federal landmarks should not be used for a private, for-profit sporting spectacle.
“This nation’s public monuments should not be loaned out for private exploitation,” they wrote in the filing.
The pair also argued the event is not a legitimate America 250 celebration and therefore should not be exempt from environmental and permitting requirements.
In a sharply worded response filed on Tuesday, Justice Department lawyers accused the pair of trying to sabotage an event expected to draw more than 120,000 spectators after more than $60 million had already been spent preparing for it.
“It would be easy enough to simply avert their gazes for the weekend,” the government wrote.
“Instead, they seek to enlist the power of a federal court to impose their idiosyncratic preferences on the rest of the country and ruin an event designed to celebrate the United States of America.”
DOJ lawyers also argued that Douglas and Romano waited until the eleventh hour to challenge an event that has already consumed enormous resources.
“All these hopes could be dashed at the very last moment, however, by the whim of two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else,” the filing states.
The administration further defended the giant arena structure erected on the South Lawn—known as “the Claw”—arguing it does not require congressional authorization because it is temporary.
Lawyers also insisted the White House does not need National Park Service approval to host events on its own grounds.
The UFC event, dubbed “UFC Freedom 250,” is scheduled for Sunday and will coincide with Trump’s 80th birthday.
The White House and UFC have spent months transforming the South Lawn into a temporary fight venue complete with an octagon, stadium lighting, and bleacher seating for roughly 5,000 invited guests.
The legal battle is the latest controversy surrounding the birthday bash, which has already been hit by reports that several celebrities linked to the event have no plans to attend.
For now, however, the show is still set to go on.
The Daily Beast reached out to the White House and Justice Department for comment.
