Trump Marks 80th Birthday With Unprecedented UFC Event at the White House

President Donald Trump is celebrating his 80th birthday today, Sunday, with an extraordinary event at the White House. The centerpiece is a UFC showcase staged on the South Lawn, which was turned into a temporary arena with thousands of seats and a suspended roof, in what is described as the first major professional sports event ever held on White House grounds.

According to UFC president Dana White, the idea came from Trump himself. Trump has attended UFC events for 25 years and is considered one of the organization’s best-known and longest-standing supporters. The card is set to feature seven high-profile fights. About 4,300 spectators are expected, including 1,200 seats reserved for active-duty military personnel, who had to meet strict appearance and fitness requirements.

Weather could disrupt the celebration, with the U.S. meteorological service warning of a “reasonable” chance of thunderstorms at the scheduled time. Over the weekend, a federal judge rejected an attempt to block the event, after a challenge argued that the administration relied on a regulation meant to fund national events marking the United States’ birthday, not the president’s.

At the same time, Trump suffered a setback in another symbolic effort to shape his legacy. His name, which was placed on the Kennedy Center last year, was removed on Friday night under a court order. The Kennedy Center, the official cultural center of the United States in Washington, D.C., said the name no longer appears on the building, on its website, or in official documents. The removal followed a federal ruling last month that adding Trump’s name had been unlawful and that renaming the center required congressional approval.