Saturday, June 6, 2026
Vol. VIII
Est. 2019

The Mind Shield

News · Opinion · Politics · Analysis

Celebrities snub Trump’s White House UFC fight.

Celebrities snub Trump’s White House UFC fight.
Workers build the cage for an upcoming UFC event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press

The Trump White House is facing another booking disaster as several A-list celebrities floated as possible attendees at the UFC Freedom 250th birthday fight this month have signalled they will not attend.

Trump is hosting a live mixed martial arts fight on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14th to celebrate both his 80th birthday and the country’s 250th anniversary.

In an interview with Time Magazine last month, close Trump ally and UFC President Dana White revealed that he had invited celebrity guests, including Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Jason Statham, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and TV host Mario Lopez.

Almost every celebrity on White’s list has told Vanity Fair they will not be attending.

A source close to Johnson told the publication that the wrestler-turned-actor will not attend. Sandler, Leto, and Lopez will also not be in attendance. Vanity Fair reports that the remaining invitees had not responded to multiple requests for comment.

The news of yet another booking disaster for a Trump-backed event comes days after the Freedom 250 concert series collapsed because music stars invited to headline events this summer pulled out citing the event’s affiliation with the president.

On Friday, Trump announced that he would host a rally in place of June 24’s kickoff of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall with performances from ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’ singer, 83-year-old Lee Greenwood, and Christopher Macchio, a 47-year-old opera singer.

“On Wednesday, June 24th, at 7 P.M., in magnificent Washington, D.C., now totally beautified, and one of the Safest Cities anywhere in the World, and in celebration of our Country’s 250 Year History, we will be bringing you, LIVE, the Greatest Rally, EVER! It will be special at every level — A Rally to end all Rallies!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home,” he continued. “All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!”

Along with Greenwood and Macchio, Trump said the rally would feature performances from the U.S. Army Band, the Armed Forces Choir, the U.S. Marine Band, and the Joint Armed Forces Chorus.