The White House drastically altered an old Army recruitment poster to advertise the upcoming UFC event on White House grounds.
On Wednesday, less than two weeks before the mixed martial arts event takes place on Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, the White House shared a version of Uncle Sam that looks like he’s on steroids. The original personification of the U.S. appeared more than a century ago in a 1917 Army recruitment poster by American artist James Montgomery Flagg.
Instead of a caption reading “I Want You for U.S. Army,” the White House’s poster read, “America Needs a Champion,” followed by “UFC x White House.”
For the event, which is part of the country’s 250th birthday celebrations, an outdoor arena is being constructed on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump, 79, has toyed with the idea of it remaining there as long as he sees fit. After all, he said, it was like Paris’ Eiffel Tower.
But one of the many ways the two structures differ is that the Trump administration has reportedly been carefully selecting which military personnel can attend.
The Pentagon, according to The Washington Post, is looking to recruit “hundreds” of younger service members who fit specific height and weight requirements. They will also be required to wear a uniform and cover their own expenses.
Other attendees include filmmaker Guy Ritchie, retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady, actors Jared Leto and Jason Statham, wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and television host Mario Lopez.
In all, 4,000 spectators are expected to attend, including Trump, according to Military Times.
Joe Rogan, the podcaster and UFC commentator who endorsed Trump in 2024, called the event a “gimmick.”
Trump didn’t disagree. “Life is a gimmick,” he told TIME magazine.
Also gimmicky was a Truth Social post of Trump’s last month that depicted the president as Uncle Sam.
“I WANT YOU!” he wrote. For what, he didn’t say.
