President Donald Trump has transformed the White House grounds into his own personal playground.
The 79-year-old MAGA leader has made major changes to the centuries-old landmark.
He added gaudy gold lettering to the walls and tore down the East Wing for a lavish ballroom.
With his birthday approaching, Trump installed a massive MMA cage outside the mansion for upcoming UFC fights.
The modifications have an estimated $60 million price tag.
UFC and its parent company, TKO Group Holdings, are supposedly covering the cost of the octagon construction and the show’s production.
UFC Freedom 250 will feature seven fights on June 14 to celebrate Flag Day.
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June 14 happens to be the day Trump was born as well.
This makes the UFC event appear to be honoring the billionaire businessman more than the nation, which ignited significant backlash.
Current images of the White House complex looking like a desolate wasteland have spread across the internet.
The president decided to lean into the controversy with new snarky remarks.
In a recent TikTok video, Trump suggested that the temporary UFC bouts could remain on the White House lawn forever.
“Many people don’t know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower — 1889, it was built — it was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World’s Fair,” Trump explained.
He continued, “Then they said, ‘You know, we sort of like it, let’s leave it up a little bit longer.’ And then they said, ‘Let’s leave it up longer and longer and longer.’ Well, they never took it down.”
France’s Eiffel Tower has become a signature landmark of the European country.
It was constructed to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution. The 1,000- foot monument, located in the city of Paris, attracts over 6 million visitors per year.
“We’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people,” Trump said.
Then he added, “It’s going to have the big UFC fight on June 14th, and I’m looking at it, and maybe we’ll never, ever take it down.”
View on Threads
The president’s hinting at possibly keeping the UFC structure a permanent fixture in DC set off angry complaints.
Comedian Loni Love protested, “Laawwdd, he [is] talking about leaving that damn octagon up.”
Love, 54, was not the only person on Threads to voice her frustration with Trump insinuating that the UFC cage will stay positioned next to the People’s House.
Other posters replied with comments such as “Smfh” and “trashy!”
Those negative sentiments towards Trump were expressed elsewhere on the social media platform.
For example, one person exclaimed, “This is the tackiest, most ghetto, lowest class administration EVER!!!”
“I knew it!! I knew he wasn’t going to go [through] all that trouble just to take it down afterwards!!,” someone said.
“He’s absolutely desecrating the [White House] grounds!!” wrote another riled-up critic of the commander in chief.
Another commenter, who was concerned about the state of Trump’s mental health, wondered, “Exactly how insane is he?
While someone else questioned his absence, ‘Anybody know where he is… I think he’s MIA.’
“He is comparing the Eiffel Tower to a UFC stage? Holy moly…” asserted one individual who found the comparison between the renowned Parisian tourist attraction and the makeshift domed venue in DC absurd.
Yet another Trump detractor gave the president’s residence a new derogatory nickname associated with impoverished rural areas, writing, “It’s now become the White Trash House. When will [the] trailer park appear?”
According to Newsweek, the damaged White House lawn is expected to be restored soon after the UFC Freedom 250 showcase. A professor of turfgrass management at Michigan State University spoke to the outlet about the future repairs.
“We have machines now that can basically scrape that sod off, leave the grade in perfect order, and then we can bring machines in that lay the big pieces of sod,” Trey Rogers stated, referring to a replacement technique used by large stadiums for non-sporting events like music concerts.
In addition to creating an uproar over proposing a lasting MMA cage at the White House, UFC Freedom 250 has also been under fire for reportedly only offering seats to active service members who meet specific body standards. Plus, the troops must pay for their own travel and lodging expenses in Washington.
