A new lawsuit has been filed aiming to stop the planned UFC White House event from going forward on June 14.
Plaintiffs Paul Romano and Susan Douglas are asking a court for a temporary restraining order that could halt the event while the case is reviewed. The complaint argues that UFC White House is an unlawful use of the White House South Lawn and the Lincoln Memorial by a private, for‑profit sports promoter.
Attorney Samuel T. Ward-Packard states in the filing, "The event, scheduled for June 14, was conceived by President Trump and organized by UFC CEO Dana White, a close personal ally of Trump, and will benefit both men financially," and describes the plan as "a corrupt scheme to hand the White House South Lawn and Lincoln Memorial to a private, for-profit sports promoter in violation of federal law." One passage adds that, "Trump purchased up to $50,000 in UFC parent company TKO stock earlier this spring, while White’s company is selling VIP packages for $1.5 million each, and benefiting from what one TKO executive called “the greatest earned-marketing tool of all time.” Additionally, a weigh-in for fighters is scheduled for the night before, and is set to occur at the Lincoln Memorial."
The complaint cites alleged violations of National Park Service agreements, lack of congressional authorization for staging equipment called "The Claw," and potential taxpayer costs for South Lawn repairs. Douglas says, "The President arranged to hand two of America’s most cherished monuments to a private corporation so he and his allies could profit from them. That is corruption," and adds, "These monuments belong to all of us Americans, not to Dana White, not to advertisers like Crypto.com, and not to Donald Trump. We’re asking the court to enforce the law because the administration refuses to." Romano is described as a retired Air Force Sergeant and Vietnam veteran, while Douglas is described as a longtime civic activist and organizer.
UFC White House is scheduled to be headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the undisputed lightweight title.
