Now
67°
Sat
81°
Sun
87°
by NATALIA MITTELSTADT | The National News Desk
WASHINGTON (TNND) — A federal judge on Friday dismissed a challenge to the White House UFC fight scheduled this weekend for President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee, ruled against two Virginia residents’ request to block the event on the White House South Lawn because they had no legal standing, The Hill reported. The plaintiffs hadn’t shown that the event, scheduled on Flag Day and President Trump’s 80th birthday, would harm them, Mehta ruled.
“Plaintiffs fall short of showing they are ‘directly affected’ by Defendants’ actions,” Mehta wrote in his 15-page ruling.
The Public Integrity Project filed the suit on behalf of two Virginia residents — a Vietnam War veteran and a civic activist — who argued that the event violates federal law and that the administration's authorization of it was unlawful.
The lawsuit alleged that the event violates National Park Service regulations that prohibit sporting events on federal parkland. It further claimed that Congress did not approve the construction of a towering arch overlooking the venue and that no environmental review was conducted before work began.
While Mehta's ruling didn't address those arguments, he noted that the plaintiffs' regular visits to the National Mall aren’t enough for them to file suit. The activist claimed that she often protests near the Lincoln Memorial, and the veteran said he’s a ride-share driver who may be near the event this weekend.
“Only a serendipitous rideshare trip would place him in a position to see the Claw on the night of the fights,” Mehta said.
The Justice Department argued that the plaintiffs were too late to challenge the event, had no standing, and that the fight was legal because it falls under special permitting exceptions for the celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary.
"It would be easy enough to simply avert their gazes for the weekend. Instead, they seek to enlist the power of a federal court to impose their idiosyncratic preferences on the rest of the country and ruin an event designed to celebrate the United States of America," the DOJ wrote in the filing.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement on Friday, “The court rightly rejected an untimely and frivolous effort to halt the historic UFC event hosted to honor the 250th anniversary of our Nation. The White House is thankful for this correct decision and looks forward to hosting this once-in-a-lifetime celebration on the South Lawn.”
The Public Integrity Project didn't immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment.
2026 Sinclair, Inc.
