Donald Trump‘s plan to turn the White House South Lawn into a UFC arena is already taking punches before fight night.
For his birthday, the president is getting the show of his life. It’s set right in front of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on Flag Day.
Producers apparently need one thing to make it pop: an audience.
And they are tapping a very particular group to fill those seats.
Reports have surfaced that troops are being recruited to fill the front lawn — with a catch. They must meet body composition standards and foot the bill for their own travel.
The details have sparked outrage online, with many accusing the administration of using service members as props, according to The Washington Post.
Internal Pentagon memos spell out the specifics. Attendees must maintain a waist-to-height ratio below 0.55 and cover their own transportation and lodging.
They must also show up in short-sleeve dress uniforms. Producers want the audience to be picture-perfect. They are also being accused of micromanaging the servicemen’s lifestyles.
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The Defense Department is casting a wide net, soliciting volunteers from military branches worldwide.
The Pentagon is specifically targeting junior enlisted personnel and junior officers. These servicemen and women are the lowest-paid ranks in the service. That makes the out-of-pocket requirement a particularly bitter pill to swallow.
The White House is not backing down.
“This will be one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history, and President Trump hosting it at the White House is a testament to his vision to celebrate America’s monumental 250th anniversary,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement.
The event is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious productions ever staged on White House grounds. Construction plans call for a massive open-air structure over the South Lawn.
It will include the octagon cage the fighters will compete in, temporary grandstands, giant video screens, extensive lighting rigs, and fan zones.
Trump’s relationship with UFC president Dana White is one of the most visible alliances in modern American politics. The president regularly attends UFC events. He frequently receives enthusiastic receptions from fight fans. The June 14 event is expected to draw celebrities, athletes, and political figures.
Still, the military attendance requirements quickly became the dominant conversation online.
One MSN reader wrote, blasting the health requirement, “Let’s make it equal. If the troops must meet weight standards to attend the meet, their COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF must also meet weight standards to be able to attend.”
Another questioned why service members would spend their own money. “Ummm no. I saw it stated in multiple places that they have to PAY for their own tickets. I hope many of them give this a hard pass. Our military is paid little enough. Why waste it on this white trash circus?”
A third commenter compared the spectacle to ancient Rome. “While people like me are struggling to survive and pay for his war, he is spending our taxes on spectacle for the romans, just like the days of gladiators.”
Others accused the administration of using military personnel for optics. “Trump is using the US military as props for his disgusting vanity project. Makes me nauseous,” one reader wrote, as someone else questioned the fitness requirement itself. “Is Teflon really in any position to have a weight requirement on anything?”
Another reader expressed disbelief. “If this is even CLOSE to being REAL…….it is the dumbest, most idiotic and disgusting thing that I can think of in the military. How stupid. God Bless our troops and stop this administration picking on our servicemen.”
Renderings of the arena have already drawn mockery online. Critics have compared the structure to a traveling carnival. Some have called it an oversized theme park attraction.
Others have pointed to the irony of imposing appearance standards at an event marketed as a patriotic military celebration.
Whether viewed as a historic moment or a costly spectacle, UFC Freedom 250 is already generating the kind of attention Trump tends to seek. The punches inside the octagon may headline the night. But the fight over who gets to sit in the crowd is proving just as combative.
