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Trump Hosts Historic UFC Freedom 250 Fight Night on White House South Lawn for 80th Birthday
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump marked his 80th birthday by hosting “UFC Freedom 250,” a groundbreaking mixed martial arts event on the White House South Lawn that blended high-stakes fights, political spectacle and patriotic pageantry in a display never before seen at the executive mansion.
The primetime card, streamed on Paramount+, featured American fighters dominating bouts under the open sky, with more than 4,000 fans packed into a custom-built arena structure known as “the Claw.” The event unfolded hours after Trump announced a peace agreement with Iran, adding layers of geopolitical and personal significance to the celebration.
Trump, joined by UFC CEO Dana White and first lady Melania Trump, made a prominent appearance, walking from the Oval Office down the Colonnade to a balcony overlooking the lawn. The night included a performance of the national anthem by the Zach Brown Band and a 12-jet military flyover, setting a distinctly American tone for the festivities.
Trump and Dana White Take Center Stage
The evening began with Trump and White emerging together, saluting the crowd as cheers erupted. Trump remained ringside for much of the card, flanked by family members including Donald Trump Jr. and business figures such as Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg. High-profile attendees included House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
Fighters frequently acknowledged the president after victories. Bo Nickal, after a second-round knockout, climbed the octagon fence and knelt before Trump’s seat to shake his hand. Josh Hokit presented Trump with a large gold chain following his win.
The event underscored the deepening relationship between Trump and the UFC. White has been a vocal supporter, and the spectacle highlighted the administration’s focus on engaging younger male demographics, a key voting bloc for Republicans.
Weather Delays and Logistical Challenges
Organizers faced uncertainty due to potential thunderstorms and heat, with feels-like temperatures in the mid-80s. The first fight was delayed more than 40 minutes while monitoring lightning risks within a six-mile radius. A major weather system ultimately passed without major disruption.
The Weather Channel drew White House criticism for its coverage of possible delays. A rapid response account posted on X, calling the reporting “clickbait” and affirming that the event would proceed “rain or shine” to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
Gaethje Delivers Historic Upset in Main Event
The headline bout saw American Justin Gaethje pull off a stunning upset against Spain’s Ilia Topuria. Entering as a significant underdog, Gaethje knocked out Topuria in the fourth round after the champion suffered a severe cut and eye swelling. Gaethje claimed the undisputed lightweight title and celebrated with a backflip off the fence.
American fighters had a strong showing overall, with Sean O’Malley securing a quick victory earlier in the card. Post-fight interviews reflected the patriotic atmosphere, with fighters praising the unique setting.
Partisan Reactions and Political Fallout
The event drew sharp criticism from Democrats and administration opponents. Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan Senate candidate, called it “wildly tone deaf” during a television appearance, linking it to economic concerns. Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey described it as “corruption on full display,” citing Trump’s reported shares in UFC and Paramount, along with donations from White and sponsors to pro-Trump causes.
Supporters, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, hailed the night as a celebration of American strength and competition. “Whether it’s under Friday night lights, on the court or in the octagon, competition reminds us of the qualities that keep America strong,” Wiles wrote on social media.
Trump later posted on Truth Social, calling the event “incredible” and the White House setting “unsurpassed.” Republican strategist Brad Todd noted the demographic appeal, pointing to UFC’s predominantly male, under-54 audience as a target for GOP outreach.
Broader Significance and Context
The UFC Freedom 250 represented a fusion of sports, politics and entertainment on the grounds of the people’s house. While some viewed it as an innovative way to engage citizens, others questioned the propriety of transforming the White House lawn into a combat sports venue.
The timing amplified its impact, coming on Trump’s birthday and alongside major foreign policy news. It also coincided with a strong weekend for U.S. sports, including the Knicks’ NBA championship and the national soccer team’s World Cup victory.
Critics raised legal and ethical concerns, noting a failed court challenge by Virginia residents seeking to block the event. Supporters framed it as a harmless celebration of American exceptionalism and freedom.
Looking Ahead
The event is likely to fuel ongoing debates about the intersection of politics and professional sports. For the UFC, it provided unprecedented visibility and reinforced its growing cultural influence. For the administration, it offered a high-energy platform to connect with key voter demographics.
As reactions continue to pour in, the UFC Freedom 250 stands as a memorable chapter in both sports and presidential history — a bold spectacle that showcased the president’s flair for the dramatic while highlighting deep partisan divisions over style and substance.
Whether viewed as a celebration of American strength or an inappropriate blending of office and entertainment, the night underscored the evolving nature of public events at the White House. Trump’s ability to draw massive attention through such gatherings remains a defining feature of his political brand.
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Truist Financial TFC 1.93%increase; up pointing triangle has hired Michael Lyons as its next president and chief executive, plucking the executive from Fiserv.
Truist on Monday said Lyons joins the Charlotte, N.C., financial holding company on Sept. 1 to succeed Bill Rogers, who will become executive board chair.
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The move is seen as a bet that combining streaming with its news and sport offering will leave Fox in a strong position as TV audiences move online.
Renowned wine entrepreneur Jean-Charles Boisset joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss the similarity and differences between American and French wines and the Fox News Wine Shop Sweepstakes.
France must drop its tax on American technology or face a 100% tariff on its wine, President Donald Trump warned hours before departing for the Group of Seven Summit.
The U.S. will “have no choice” but to apply the tariffs if French President Emmanuel Macron does not end its 3% levy on large digital services companies.
“I asked him not to charge American companies, and if they do, I have no choice but to charge a 100% tariff on all champagnes and all wines coming out of France,” Trump told the New York Post in an interview. “All [Macron] has to do is get rid of the sales tax, and he wouldn’t have that kind of pressure.”
The warning raises the prospect of a renewed transatlantic trade clash as Trump heads to Évian-les-Bains, France, for the G7 summit Macron will be hosting. The gathering comes as U.S. allies remain wary of Washington’s increasingly aggressive approach to trade disputes.
TRUMP SIGNS ‘RECIPROCAL’ TARIFF PLAN FOR COUNTRIES THAT TAX US GOODS
French President Emmanuel Macron and President Donald Trump have had a checkered past dating back to the first Trump administration. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
he White House did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
France’s digital services tax, often called the GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft) tax, has been in force since 2019. It applies a 3% levy to revenue earned in France by large digital companies with more than about $29 million in French revenue and about $870 million in global revenue. The measure has long angered U.S. officials because it disproportionately affects American technology firms.
Trump’s comments appeared to contradict claims from Macron’s office last week that the dispute was no longer under debate among G7 countries. The New York Post reported that a U.S. official had dismissed that account as inaccurate.
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BATTERED US WINE IMPORTERS BRACE FOR HIGHER TARIFFS
The latest threat revives tariff levels first floated during a U.S. Trade Representative investigation into France’s digital tax in 2019. Trump previously threatened steep tariffs on wine and other alcoholic beverages from France and the European Union, including threats of 200% duties as trade tensions escalated.
Alcohol is one of the European Union’s top exports to the United States, worth about €9 billion ($10.5 billion) in 2024, according to Eurostat data. France is particularly exposed because products such as champagne and cognac must be produced in specific regions, leaving producers with limited ability to shift supply chains.
French wine and spirits exports to the U.S. currently face a 15% tariff, a rate French officials have been lobbying to reduce to zero since Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to a U.S.-EU trade deal in Scotland last summer.
President Donald Trump is threatening a 100% tariff on wine and champagne from France. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
TRUMP’S G7 MEETINGS COME AMID CHINA BRAWL
The New York Post reported that the U.S. market accounts for about one-fifth of the French wine industry’s global sales, worth more than $2 billion annually.
France’s National Assembly voted in October to double the digital tax to 6% and narrow the threshold to focus on the largest global companies, though ministers later vetoed the move. Lawmakers had initially considered a far larger increase before scaling it back amid industry pressure.
Trump’s renewed tariff threat also comes as other U.S. trading partners reassess digital services taxes under pressure from Washington. Canada shelved its digital tax in 2025 after the U.S. broke off trade talks, while Italy has reportedly weighed repealing its own levy. Britain has maintained its digital services tax under its current trade arrangements with the United States.
Liz Claman reports on the Trump administration’s fresh tariff threats, imposing 10-12.5% levies on 60 trading partners, citing forced labor. Medtronic expects a $250 million tariff hit for 2027, impacting U.S. companies.
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The G7 summit runs through Wednesday in Évian-les-Bains. The group includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Reuters contributed to this report.
To win over today’s diners, KFC is prioritizing boneless chicken menu items, expanding its sauce options and designing its restaurants to keep customers’ attention.
These days, the Yum Brands unit is facing stiff competition, both from upstart chicken chains and legacy giants like McDonald’s that are betting big on the growing global popularity of chicken. While KFC claims to have invented the chicken quick-service restaurant category, being the first isn’t the same as being No. 1, particularly in the U.S., where its sales have slumped in recent years.
“In an increasingly crowded category, we have a clear opportunity to set the standard for modern chicken in QSR,” KFC Global CEO Scott Mezvinsky said Monday in a statement announcing the chain’s “next chapter.”
Tenders and drinks
KFC’s “next chapter” will focus on boneless options, like a revamped version of its chicken tenders.
Source: KFC
A focal point of the strategy is what KFC calls a “bold menu revamp.”
As part of that, the chain plans to expand its boneless chicken options and improve its recipe for its existing tenders.
“We are moving from chicken-on-the bone to more and more boneless chicken,” KFC Chief Concept Officer Christophe Poirier told CNBC.
“We are evolving our tenders to make sure that, nonnegotiable, we’re going to have the biggest, the juiciest and the crispiest,” he added.
KFC is also expanding its available sauces to appeal to consumers who like dunking, drenching or drizzling their chicken tenders. The chain’s “global sauce pantry” has more than 20 varieties that often mix classic sauces with new flavors, like its chimichurri ranch. (KFC’s tender- and sauce-centric spinoff restaurant chain Saucy, meanwhile, has grown to nearly a dozen locations, all in Florida.)
This month, restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland will begin rolling out the new tenders, as well as nine new sauces. Australia and the United States will follow later this summer, with more global markets expected throughout the rest of the year.
KFC is also launching a menu line called “Dunked,” which features tenders, wings and sandwiches drenched in sauce. The menu items are already available in South Africa and India.
Like many fast-food restaurants, KFC is also expanding its range of drink options to include boba refreshers, sparkling lemonades and iced coffees under a new sub-brand called Kwench by KFC. Select Irish and British restaurants already sell Kwench drinks, but Australia and Canada will add them to their permanent menus this year.
“We can rapidly cascade a lot of initiatives that we’re leading from the center,” Poirier said, crediting the chain’s nimble supply chain.
The chain’s own restaurants will also look different as it rolls out new store designs. This summer, an “open-concept” restaurant in McKinney, Texas, will open its doors; an “immersive,” two-story location in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will follow in September.
Poirier compared the experience of visiting its upcoming “immersive” restaurant to seeing a concert at the Sphere in Las Vegas. KFC designed the store to distract diners from their phones and keep them engaged with the in-person experience.
Fresh branding is also part of the strategy. The chain’s new logo features its Colonel Sanders mascot bookended on either side with “KFC,” resembling the shape of its famous chicken buckets. KFC said the bucket will be “refreshed,” while Sanders will receive a “subtle evolution,” according to the chain.
Challenges
A rendering of KFC’s new restaurant design pays homage to the chain’s iconic bucket and mascot Colonel Sanders.
Source: KFC
With more than 34,000 locations worldwide, KFC is one of the largest global restaurant chains. It is also an important part of Yum’s portfolio, particularly as its parent company seeks a sale of its struggling sister chain Pizza Hut.
But KFC has its own challenges.
In the U.S., the chain has been ceding share for years to newcomers like Raising Cane’s. In 2021, KFC held 16% of the U.S. market share for chicken quick-service restaurants, putting it in second place behind Chick-fil-A, according to Barclays. By 2024, its market share had slipped to 9.4%, and Popeyes and Raising Cane’s had leapfrogged KFC, dragging the chain down to the fourth spot.
Outside the U.S., KFC has been more successful. Yum considers KFC International to be one of its two “growth engines,” along with top performer Taco Bell.
In its latest quarter, KFC reported same-store sales growth of 2%. Yum no longer shares the same-store sales of the chain’s domestic business, implying that the segment is now considered immaterial to the company’s broader results. China and Europe are KFC’s two largest regions by system sales, with the U.S. in third place.
To revive its flagging U.S. business, Yum tapped Catherine Tan-Gillespie as KFC’s new U.S. president more than a year ago. So far, her turnaround efforts have involved offering more value meals and bringing back Colonel Sanders.
KFC U.S. has seen same-store sales growth in its last three quarters, Tan-Gillespie told trade publication Restaurant Business earlier this month.
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New York Knicks fans are making up for lost time.
The Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years on Saturday night after years of hope, heartbreak, and facepalms.
But the wait was well worth it, and fans are making sure this year’s run is remembered forever.
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Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks lifts the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Knicks championship gear broke Fanatics’ record for the most sold by any title winner in the four major sports within 24 hours, surpassing last year’s Philadelphia Eagles. They are also on pace to become the company’s top-selling overall sports champion ever, which would eclipse the previous best Chicago Cubs in 2016.
Fanatics took in more than 8,000 orders per minute after the clinch, a new company record.
The Knicks have already more than doubled the sales of the company’s previous best-selling NBA Finals champion, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks celebrates with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after the victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images / Getty Images)
KNICKS STAR JALEN BRUNSON’S SISTER DUNKS ON CRITICS AS NEW YORK WINS NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
New York took down the San Antonio Spurs in five games, overcoming double-digits in each victory. In fact, the Knicks spent more time trailing by double digits (over 62 minutes) than actually leading (roughly 56 minutes) in the series.
The title run warranted Game 3 becoming the most expensive secondary-market sporting event on record, with the get in price over five figures.
New York won 15 of its final 16 games to win the championship, including 13 consecutive at a point. The streak was snapped in that Game 3 contest, and they almost lost two in a row for the first time since the first round, but they stormed back from 29 points down to complete the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks pose for a photo with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game 5 of the 2026 (Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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The Knicks will celebrate their title with their official championship parade on Thursday morning – although Jose Alvarado was already a part of the Puerto Rican Day Parade with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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