President Donald Trump is hyping a high-profile boxing night on the White House lawn as the “hottest ticket” in town, drawing intense interest from donors, lawmakers and well-connected insiders eager to get a seat at the event.The event, called UFC Freedom 250, is scheduled to take place on June 14, coinciding with Trump’s birthday and Flag Day, as part of America’s 250th Independence Day celebrations. According to Axios, the spectacle surrounding the incident seemed to cheer Trump even as he grapples with tensions with Iran and rising domestic fuel prices.
What happened?
There are originally 5,000 VIP seats surrounding the UFC Octagon on the South Lawn of the White House, but most of those tickets are expected to be given out to military personnel, leaving perhaps only a few thousand for well-connected attendees and far fewer cageside seats.Senior lobbyists and agents with ties to the White House were flooded with requests, sources said. One of them told Axios they were tired of being asked about the fight.
Almost immediately after the event was announced last summer, Republicans began flooding the White House with inquiries about the VIP tickets. One senator asked to attend with his family. A Republican fundraiser close to the White House received dozens of direct messages on social media asking how to attend. A person familiar with the preparations for the event said that Trump himself also received ticket requests.UFC CEO Dana White announced last week that 85,000 tickets would be given away to the public to enjoy an outdoor viewing experience on a big screen at the Ellipse, just south of the White House.The event will feature six UFC fights and will be streamed live on Paramount+. The fight is headlined by a lightweight bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. White meets with Trump every few months to discuss plans for the event.Organizers said they are still determining how VIP tickets to the South Lawn will be distributed.“Everything was very fluid,” a Trump aide said.Republican staffers predict that big donors to Trump’s ballroom projects, his allied super PACs and his inaugural committee will almost certainly gain seats, along with Trump’s closest allies on Capitol Hill and his longtime close friends. However, a person familiar with the plan warned that some people vying for seats may come away disappointed.“It feels like people are willing to fight over seats!” Rob Lockwood, a former top aide to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, told Axios in a text message.
