A federal judge on Friday rejected an effort to block President Donald Trump from hosting a UFC event on the White House South Lawn this weekend, allowing preparations for the mixed martial arts show to continue as planned.
The event, scheduled for Sunday as part of celebrations marking the United States' 250th anniversary and coinciding with Trump's 80th birthday, had been challenged by two Virginia residents who argued it could not lawfully be held on federal grounds.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to bring the case and failed to demonstrate irreparable harm that would justify halting the event at the last minute.
The lawsuit was filed by a political activist and a Vietnam War veteran, represented by attorneys from the nonprofit Public Integrity Project.
They argued that the UFC event was a privately organized, for-profit venture that should not qualify for regulatory exemptions tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The plaintiffs contended that organizers should have completed additional permitting and environmental review processes before proceeding.
They also sought to stop the construction of event infrastructure, including a 92-foot-tall steel structure known as “The Claw.”
Mehta noted that the plaintiffs' claimed aesthetic harms were temporary and that workers were expected to begin dismantling the structure on Monday.
The judge also criticized what he described as an unreasonable delay in bringing the lawsuit, noting that plans for the event had been publicly known for months.
Court filings showed that UFC and affiliated organizations have spent more than $60 million on production, construction, labor and promotional activities related to the event.
According to declarations submitted by the administration, the federal government is providing security, law enforcement and medical services, as well as support for thousands of expected attendees.
The White House dismissed the lawsuit as an attempt to stop an event it said was comparable to other public gatherings regularly hosted in Washington.
Justice Department lawyers argued that temporary structures are commonly erected on White House grounds for special events and do not require separate congressional approval.
Mehta did not rule on the underlying legality of the event, limiting his decision to the plaintiffs’ inability to pursue the challenge in court.