President Donald Trump spoke to reporters outside the Oval Office on Monday, where he talked about the upcoming UFC event planned for the White House grounds this summer.
When a reporter suggested the card be labeled “UFC 1776,” Trump responded enthusiastically and went on to share details about what he described as the most anticipated event he has ever been part of.
The reporter’s question set it off: “The UFC event that’s happening at the White House this summer, UFC typically numbers those events consecutively, but should they label this one UFC 1776?”
Trump replied: “That’s a good idea. I’ll tell that to Dana White. I like that idea.”
He then offered an unprompted and detailed breakdown of the event’s scope and scale.
“I will say I’ve been involved with a lot of big events. I have never had an event that’s had more interest than the UFC event that we have right at the front door, right there,” Trump said. “They’re going to start building about a 4,500-seat arena. And then in the back at the Ellipse, we’re going to have maybe 100,000, 50 to 100,000 people. I guess they’re building tremendous stages and we’re going to have massive screens of the event and it’s, you know, very popular sport.”
Trump continued: “But I have never been involved, and because of the White House and everything, you know, there’s a lot of reasons for it. But we’re having an event at the White House on June 14th and we’re going to have an arena built right at the front door.”
Trump pivoted briefly to a personal exchange with a Door Dash delivery driver who had just delivered to the White House, asking whether her husband liked UFC and extending an invitation for the couple to attend the event.
“If he’s feeling good, we’ll make sure you come,” Trump told her. “That’s better than the tip I just gave you. That’s a lot better.”
Dana White, the CEO of the UFC, has maintained a close relationship with Trump for years, and the two have appeared together at numerous high-profile occasions.
