Construction has begun on a giant, temporary fighting ring on the White House grounds.
President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that construction would soon start on an open-air mixed martial arts venue for a UFC fight, which is ostensibly to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. on July 4, but conveniently will be held on his 80th birthday on June 14.
Cranes and crisscrossing arches taller than the White House now stand on the South Lawn with an American flag pattern covering the lower half of the temporary structure. The venue is expected to seat about 5,000 people.
The event gives Trump ally and UFC CEO Dana White, who endorsed his reelection in 2024, a one-of-a-kind spotlight. It also gives Trump a helpful photo op. The fight night burnishes his tough-guy image and projects a sense of strength at a time when he’s never been more politically weak.
Trump’s disapproval rating has hit an all-time high as the young male voters who helped get him back into office—not to mention who might be the most interested in watching an MMA fight—are abandoning him in droves. A Harvard/IOP poll found just 28% of men ages 18 to 29 support Trump after 49% voted for him in the last election.
The price of bread and other staples is up, but the circus (or rather, the gladiator fight) is coming to the White House and will be streamed on Paramount+.
Whether the fight on the CBS streaming platform can win back young male voters ahead of the November midterm elections remains to be seen, but the Harvard/IOP poll found young people are most concerned with issues like rising prices, housing costs, healthcare, climate, crime, and Iran—none of which can be solved in an MMA ring. Either way, Trump’s hosted fights before, like a boxing match at his Atlantic City casino before it went bankrupt.
The UFC shared renderings of an octagonal stage under the crisscrossing arches, in which an American flag (notably missing some stars) is featured. The venue is built by Tait, a Pennsylvania-based live events production company, according to CBS affiliate WHP-TV in Harrisburg.
Tait’s work spans theater, malls, and media, like The New York Times DealBook Summit, but it works often in live music. The company is behind staging for major artists such as Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, and U2’s concert residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
For the UFC’s White, an outdoor stage isn’t his preferred kind of venue.
“There’s two things I hate: I hate stadiums, and I hate—even worse than a stadium—is fighting outside,” he told NPR. “There’s just so many different variables you have to deal with,” like weather and bugs. D.C. in mid-June is often humid and muggy.
When asked whether the sport represents the president’s view of America and the world, White said, “Trump is the toughest, most resilient guy I’ve ever met,” adding during the interview that the sport “speaks to young men” and “we supported Trump.”
It’s not the first time an aging U.S. president has worked with CBS or its parent company to turn their birthday into a soft coverage opportunity before a crucial election. Ahead of his 66th birthday in 1956, amid his reelection bid, then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower faced mounting questions over his age and health. Needless to say, he got a huge boost from a celebrity-studded televised birthday tribute on CBS dubbed “Ike Day.”
Trump is 14 years older than Eisenhower was then, and more deeply unpopular than Eisenhower ever was, but he’s trying his hand at an even bigger stunt. According to White, the president’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, is running point for the project. But whereas Eisenhower threw a party, Donald Trump is holding a fight. If anything, he’s on brand.