After musicians bailed on Trump-linked America 250 events, several major celebrities invited to his UFC birthday spectacle reportedly want no part of it either.
The White House is being turned into a UFC arena for Donald Trump’s birthday, and even some of the celebrities invited don’t seem interested in showing up.
That’s becoming a pattern.
According to a new report from Vanity Fair, several A-list figures publicly touted as invitees to Trump’s upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event have no plans to attend. Among them are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Adam Sandler, Jared Leto, and Mario Lopez.
The event, which is scheduled for June 14 on the White House South Lawn, is being promoted as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. It also just happens to fall on Trump’s birthday.
Funny how that keeps happening.
The administration has spent weeks building out the spectacle, complete with a UFC ring, thousands of seats, and a giant temporary structure dubbed “The Claw.” UFC president Dana White has hyped the event as a historic celebration, while Trump has embraced it as another made-for-TV political showpiece.
But the guest list appears to be running into a reality problem.
Several of the biggest names attached to the event are reportedly staying home.
And that’s not the first sign that Trump’s America 250 rollout isn’t exactly generating universal enthusiasm.
Just last month, multiple musicians pulled out of performances tied to Freedom 250, a Trump-affiliated organization helping sponsor anniversary events. Some said they didn’t want to be dragged into politics. Others said they believed the events were nonpartisan and were surprised to learn about the political connections.
Either way, they left.
Now the celebrity no-shows are adding another layer of awkwardness to an event already struggling with public support.
A recent YouGov survey found that a majority of Americans disapprove of hosting a UFC cage fight at the White House as part of the America 250 celebration.
That’s the part that keeps getting lost amid the hype.
This isn’t just about a sporting event.
It’s about an administration willing to transform one of the country’s most symbolic public spaces into a branded entertainment venue while much of the public is wondering why this is a priority in the first place.
The White House has hosted state dinners, diplomatic summits, treaty signings, and moments that shaped American history.
Now it’s hosting a cage fight.
And somehow the people pushing the event seem surprised that not everyone wants to be associated with it.
Meanwhile, Dana White says Trump will personally distribute hundreds of tickets, with military members receiving many of the remaining seats. Tens of thousands of people who don’t make it onto the White House grounds will instead be directed to a massive watch party nearby.
The administration clearly wants this to be remembered as a defining America 250 moment.
Instead, it’s increasingly becoming a story about who doesn’t want to be there.
Because when celebrities, musicians, and a majority of the public are all heading for the exits, that’s usually a sign that the event isn’t generating the kind of excitement its organizers hoped for.
It’s generating something else entirely.
And the closer the date gets, the harder that becomes to ignore.
