Senator Adam Schiff calls Donald Trump disconnected from ordinary Americans. The remarks came as the president prepared a UFC fight night on White House grounds. As millions of Americans struggle with rising bills and record-low consumer confidence, President Donald Trump is building a UFC arena on the White House lawn, and Senator Adam Schiff isn’t staying quiet about it.
Senator slams Donald Trump for UFC project
“Trump is building a golden ballroom and for his birthday party — arranging a UFC fight on the White House grounds — while you’re fighting to pay this month’s bills. Could he be more out of touch?” the Democratic California senator wrote on X.
Schiff’s attack landed as construction crews erected a temporary arena on White House grounds for a June 14 UFC event, which doubles as Donald Trump’s 80th birthday party alongside America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Additionally, the timing of the event drew particular scrutiny. A University of Michigan survey released this month found consumer sentiment had fallen to an all-time low, with high prices and fuel costs continuing to drain household finances. Trump’s disapproval rating has also climbed higher than at any point in either term, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average, surpassing even the post-January 6 period.
The “free” event grew murkier when MMA journalist Ariel Helwani revealed that wealthy insiders were being quietly offered $1.5 million VIP access packages. His podcast co-host Conner Burks was blunt: “That’s like a $1.45 million seat to the White House… all that other stuff is at most $50,000.” The UFC spectacle sits alongside Trump’s separate $400 million “golden ballroom” project at the White House, which has triggered lawsuits and court battles over its financing structure.
For Schiff, the pattern points to something larger. He is preparing legislation targeting Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” which he calls “the most brazen act of self-dealing corruption we’ve ever seen” (via Semafor).
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
