NewsUS NewsDonald TrumpA judge ruled that the decision to host the upcoming 'UFC Freedom 250' event on the White House lawn did not overstep the Trump administration's authority.19:50, 12 Jun 2026Updated 20:24, 12 Jun 2026A US federal judge refused on Friday to stop the White House from staging a UFC event on the building's South Lawn this weekend to celebrate both the nation's 250th anniversary and Donald Trump's 80th birthday.‌District Judge Amit Mehta's ruled against two Virginia residents who filed a lawsuit against the President on June 6, arguing the decision to use the White House lawn as the venue for Sunday's planned UFC mixed martial arts event did not overstep the Trump administration's authority.‌Judge Mehta concluded that the plaintiffs likely do not have legal standing to challenge the event and have failed to prove that they would suffer irreparable harm by the event going forward as planned.‌The judge also cited the plaintiffs’ “unreasonable delay” in suing to challenge an event that has been in the works for months.“In the context of an emergency application – and coupled with the fact that the UFC fight date was long ago known – it is fair to say plaintiffs unreasonably delayed bringing suit, undercutting their claims of irreparable harm,” judge Mehta wrote.‌The lawsuit, filed by non-profit organisation, Public Integrity Project, claimed the UFC match violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, that Congress did not approve construction of the 92ft tall, 600-tonne, "Claw" structure, and that no environmental review was conducted before construction.Although UFC CEO Dana White, a longtime friend and ally of Trump, claimed that the timing of the event with the president's 80th birthday on Sunday was a "coincidence," he admitted in the suit that the whole thing was "Trump's idea."Public Integrity Project lawyer Brendan Ballou said the plaintiffs were disappointed in the judge’s decision but respect it and intend to “keep bringing cases to raise the cost of corruption in America”.Article continues below“This isn’t a case about a sporting event, it’s about corruption, as a handful of people and companies stand to profit from our public monuments,” Mr Ballou said in a statement.The White House called the lawsuit a baseless attempt to prevent Mr Trump from hosting an event that’s no different from many others routinely hosted at public forums in the nation’s capital.This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link . You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage .Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌UFCDonald Trump