The biggest threat to Donald Trump’s lavish UFC birthday bash may not be a lawsuit, a heatwave, or Americans outraged by the spectacle at the White House.
It might be the bugs.
As crews put the finishing touches to the sprawling outdoor arena erected for UFC Freedom 250, organizers are grappling with a problem that every Washingtonian knows all too well: summer insects descending on bright lights in the nation’s swampiest city.
The latest weather forecast has Washington, D.C. at a temperature high of 91 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, with “hot with intervals of clouds and sun; a thunderstorm in spots late in the afternoon.”
“Downpours and lightning could impact the events at the White House,” says the ominous warning from AccuWeather, a global weather tracking service that boasts “superior accuracy”.
But AccuWeather’s bug tracking may be even more concerning for the president as he celebrates his 80th birthday watching burly men trade blows.
“Warm weather and the metabolic rate of insects increases causing bugs to invade homes and gardens in search of food. With a rise in rain, notice an increase in mosquitoes, stink bugs, roaches and termites,” the site says, warning of “extreme” risk on Sunday.
All this could be somewhat unpleasant for the fighters gasping for air in an already slippery octagon splattered with sweat and blood, as well as UFC boss Dana White, who has made it clear over the years how much he dislikes outdoor fight cards because you can’t control the elements.
The Trump ally even recently revealed that after attending an event in the Rose Garden this year, he was struck by the number of insects swarming the area and immediately began asking his production team for solutions.
“He invited me to dinner there,” White recounted of the president in a recent interview with Boardroom Talks. “The amount of gnats that are flying around, I’m like, ‘Holy s---!’”
Despite his preference for indoor bouts, White made an exception for Trump, who has been his friend for years.
He ordered his production team to put in place custom coverings and contingency plans to handle rain, heat, and wind, while industrial fans and other measures could be used to deal with bugs, should they decide to crash the party.
UFC festivities begin on Friday night, when White and his fighters hold a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial—the iconic landmark where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
On Saturday, the fighters, including Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane, will weigh in at the Ellipse, the same site where Trump had his “Stop the Steal” rally ahead of the January 6 Capitol attack in 2021.
Then, on Sunday, Trump will celebrate his birthday in the stadium he has built on the South Lawn, as MAGA-world gathers for the most surreal political-sporting spectacle in modern memory.
The Swamp had a sneak peek of the UFC arena on Thursday, where an octagon now sits beneath a giant steel lighting structure known as “The Claw”.
The event faced a legal challenge this week from two residents and watchdog group Public Integrity Project, who sought to block the bouts taking place on federal property.
The plaintiffs described UFC Freedom 250 as an “orgy of corruption,” arguing that the White House and Lincoln Memorial are being improperly used for a private commercial venture that benefits both Trump and White.
But a judge on Friday rejected the lawsuit, finding that the plaintiffs failed to show how they would be harmed if the event were to take place.
Nonetheless, concerns remain. Sponsors have reportedly paid more than $1 million for premium access packages, Paramount, owned by Trump ally David Ellison, is streaming the fights, and UFC-themed coins featuring Trump’s face are even being marketed by the Trump Organization, which is run by the president’s sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
As reported by The Daily Beast last month, financial disclosures also showed that Trump purchased up to $50,000 in shares of TKO Group Holdings, the publicly traded sports giant that owns both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
“Obviously this isn’t about spoiling fun; this is about stopping corruption,” Public Integrity Project chief executive Brendan Ballou told MSNOW.
