Lawsuit aims to stop UFC fight at the White House | CNN Politics

Two Virginia residents have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the UFC fight President Donald Trump is holding at the White House as part of celebrations for the nation’s 250th birthday. The lawsuit, filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of a Vietnam War veteran and a civic activist, argues the structure erected on the White House grounds is not authorized without congressional approval or environmental review. It also argues the use of the White House grounds “to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access” will financially benefit UFC President Dana White and Trump himself, citing a report in the spring that Trump bought $50,000 in stock in UFC’s parent company. The lawsuit pushes back on the assertion from the administration that the Ultimate Fighting Championship match falls under the authorization from Congress for events to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, saying the event “is not in any material sense a ‘celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence’—it is, instead, a celebration of the UFC’s brand and the 80th anniversary of Donald Trump’s