The Ultimate Fighting States of America
The arena on the White House lawn was a microcosm of what Trump is doing to America
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On Sunday night, the South Lawn of the White House featured a colossal 4,300-seat arena and an octagonal cage beneath a 92-foot canopy known as “the claw,” in which professional fighters threw punches and kicks to the delight of the commander in chief.
As you know by now, America is turning 250 years old next month. This is an opportunity—an easy opportunity—to celebrate the ideals that have sustained this country through war, depression, and innumerable moments of national uncertainty. Instead, the White House became the site of a spectacle called “UFC Freedom 250,” bankrolled in part by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (yes, really).
President Trump, who turned 80 on Sunday, hosted a cage fight at the people’s house. The symbolism could not have been more fitting—or more disturbing.
The White House is not just another government building. It’s a symbol of the American presidency and, by extension, the American people. It’s where presidents have spoken to the country during wars and crises. It is supposed to represent the dignity of a constitutional republic. A brawl on the White House lawn—replete with cryptocurrency advertisements—diminishes that dignity.
I know that some people will read this and think I’m overreacting. The defenders of this event will say it’s harmless entertainment. They’ll say millions of Americans enjoy mixed martial arts. That’s true. But millions of Americans also enjoy reality television. That doesn’t mean we should turn the White House into a television set.
The problem isn’t merely the venue. The problem is what this event reveals about Donald Trump.
Trump has always preferred spectacle over substance. While previous presidents sought to elevate the office, Trump consistently seeks to make the office an extension of himself.
This was supposed to be a celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Instead, it became another celebration of Donald Trump. That has been the story of his political career.
America’s founding principles teach that no individual is bigger than the nation. Trump teaches the opposite. The Constitution created a system designed to prevent the emergence of a king. Trump has spent years encouraging Americans to view him as the indispensable center of our political life. He makes everything about him, because that’s all he cares about. Instead of celebrating American ideals, he wants America to celebrate him. The UFC event captured that perfectly.
Of course, this wasn’t the first time he has demeaned the White House. In 2020, he hosted the Republican National Convention at the White House. The South Lawn became the backdrop for a partisan campaign speech. And you may remember his first Cabinet meeting in 2017, when his secretaries took turns praising and thanking him. The only kind of unity Trump likes is when everyone pays tribute to him.
Most presidents understand that the White House is larger than themselves. It is a temporary residence entrusted to them by the American people. Trump treats it as a stage on which he is the central character. That’s why the cage on the South Lawn feels significant. By itself, it’s a stunt. Viewed alongside everything else, it’s part of a long-running effort to transform the presidency from a public trust into a personal spectacle.
There’s another reason the spectacle felt so familiar: Donald Trump likes to watch other people fight. He likes seeing Americans pitted against one another because conflict keeps him at the center of attention.
We saw that on January 6, 2021. That morning, Trump told his supporters to “fight like hell.” As the mob assaulted police officers, smashed windows, and disrupted the certification of a presidential election, Trump sat in the White House and watched. He didn’t throw a punch himself. He didn’t storm the Capitol. He let others do the fighting for him. That’s always been his style.
The cage on the White House lawn was simply a more literal version of the same instinct. Put people in conflict. Encourage the spectacle. Sit ringside.
Trump’s behavior has permeated the country. We increasingly treat our political opponents as enemies. Political violence has accelerated. Every disagreement becomes a blood feud. Every election becomes an existential battle. Every compromise becomes surrender.
In that sense, the UFC event wasn’t merely entertainment. It was a metaphor. Trump is turning us into the Ultimate Fighting States of America.
Real strength isn’t found in a cage. It is found in the institutions that have preserved American freedom for 250 years. It is found in the Constitution, in the peaceful transfer of power, and in citizens who can disagree passionately while remaining committed to the same republic. We survived the Civil War, the Great Depression, two world wars, assassinations, and terrorist attacks. At various points in our history, Americans were convinced the republic might not survive. Yet somehow it did. Not because we were perfect but because our institutions proved stronger than our worst impulses. That remains true today.
The UFC spectacle at the White House may be remembered as an embarrassing moment. It may symbolize a period when politics became entertainment and leadership became performance. But it will not define America.
The people who signed the Declaration of Independence left us something stronger than that. The Americans who endured the Depression and defeated fascism and communism left us something stronger than that. If America can survive those trials, it can survive the remainder of Trump’s presidency.
Our work isn’t over, but it’s only a matter of time until we will no longer have to watch Donald Trump watch other people fight.
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