Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has joined a growing chorus of critics opposing a UFC championship event scheduled for the White House grounds on June 14, citing construction disruptions and questioning the venue choice.
Clinton’s comments came after photos emerged showing ongoing construction work at the White House. She characterized the scene as symptomatic of broader concerns about the event’s appropriateness for the presidential residence.
Clinton’s Statement
“This is what Trump’s done to the people’s house. A third of it is rubble. Another third is a cage match. What a metaphor,” Clinton wrote in response to the construction images.
Her critique focused on the physical impact of preparations rather than the political implications of hosting the sporting event at a federal landmark.
Joe Rogan’s Technical Concerns
Commentator Joe Rogan has also expressed significant reservations about staging a championship fight outdoors at the White House. During a recent podcast appearance, Rogan detailed multiple operational concerns with the outdoor venue setup.
“The White House thing is odd. I don’t like it. I don’t like the idea of fighting outside at all,” Rogan said. He pointed to historical weather data showing temperatures in Washington, D.C., reached 100 degrees on the same date the previous year.
Rogan raised practical complications of outdoor competition, including insect attraction from lighting equipment. “You add the lights, attracts bugs. How are you going to stop the bugs?” he asked.
Beyond weather and insects, Rogan questioned whether a world championship match should occur in an uncontrolled environment. “I just don’t think that you should compete in a world championship match in a non-controlled environment. It should be inside an air conditioned arena,” Rogan said.
He compared the decision to holding a championship basketball game outdoors. “You wouldn’t ask them to play a world championship basketball game outside in the sun. That would be crazy, right?” Rogan said. When discussing potential solutions, he offered a direct suggestion: “Build a roof. Like you’ve got all the money in the world, right? You’re doing this. You want to do this for America. It’s 4,000 seats. You build a 4,000 seat arena.”
UFC Fighter Reactions
Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland expressed reservations about attending, stating that greater fan engagement might have altered his perspective on participation.
“So if there was some kind of inclusion for fans, it’d be more,” Strickland said. “But like, you know, just to go hang out in the Epstein. I’m good, dawg. I’m good, dude.”
Featherweight Bryce Mitchell took a more dramatic stance, publicly withdrawing his political support through a video statement posted online. “I want to let y’all know I’m not with Donald Trump no more. I don’t support him. I don’t like him. I think he’s a corrupted leader,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell cited multiple reasons for his position change, including the non-release of the Epstein documents and criticism of foreign aid spending. “The first thing for me was he didn’t release the Epstein files. They’re even acting like they didn’t exist,” Mitchell said.
He also objected to Trump’s recent comments regarding beef pricing. “And now he’s blaming the beef farmers for the price of beef,” Mitchell said. “I’m not biased, man. He talked a good game. He tricked me. I was fooled. I admit it.”
Pentagon Concerns
Pentagon sources have raised additional concerns about access requirements for military personnel seeking tickets to the event. According to CNN reporting, defense officials indicated that ticket allocation was being influenced by appearance considerations.
“Senior Pentagon leaders are signaling their preference for military members who will look good on camera,” a defense official claimed. The official further stated that selective physical standards were being applied to attendee eligibility.
This story has been updated. CNN’s Political and Sports teams contributed to this report.
