WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) – Donald Trump hosts a card of seven mixed martial arts fights to be held on Sunday inside a specially built arena on the White House’s South Lawn on his 80th birthday, a spectacle spotlighting his norm-defying style at a tense moment in his presidency. Seventeen months into his second term in office, Trump has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of the U.S. presidency to command attention and project strength. His latest stage is the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Octagon, the eight-sided cage erected within eyeshot of his White House bedroom for the event titled “UFC Freedom 250.” That is a reference to the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding next month. The event comes as Trump grapples with the four-month-old Iran war that has pushed consumer prices to a three-year high and, as shown in public opinion polls, unnerved many voters. It also coincides with his birthday and his efforts to counter perceptions that he is becoming a lame duck president. A Respite From War Trump is set to watch 14 mixed martial arts fighters from five countries try to kick, punch and grapple their way to a victory before an expected audience of 4,000 people inside a 92-foot-tall (28 meters) makeshift venue, nicknamed “The Claw.” The main event, scheduled for up to five rounds, features UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria against former interim titleholder Justin Gaethje. The fights are set to begin at 8 p.m. (0000 GMT Monday). Tickets were not sold publicly. UFC offered some to guests paying more than $1 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. A quarter of the audience will be military service members, according to the Trump administration. Trump asserted broad executive authority to stage a private company’s event on federal grounds, a break with norms that drew a legal challenge and raised concerns about the cost of the event and the potential for ethical conflicts. The UFC’s parent company is publicly traded TKO Group Holdings.  In a Reuters/Ipsos online poll of 4,531 U.S. adults conducted June 3-8, just 16% said ​it was appropriate for Trump to hold the event. A judge declined on Friday to block the event in a legal challenge by plaintiffs who had argued that his administration exceeded its authority in staging it by, among other things, failing to get congressional authorization. Trump has long been close with UFC Chief Executive Dana White and the Ellison family, whose Paramount has a $7.7 billion deal to air UFC fights until 2033.  White has used the sport’s popularity, particularly ​with younger men, to support Trump’s campaigns dating back to his first run for the presidency in 2016. UFC has said it spent more than $60 million on the event and will not make a profit. In the run-up, Trump’s trust purchased stock in TKO Group Holdings while a company that licenses the president’s likeness marketed commemorative coins for as much as $12,000. One of the event’s sponsors, Crypto.com, previously partnered with Trump Media & Technology Group. The White House has denied that any conflict of interest exists and said the Trump family manages the president’s business affairs. “The vast majority of Americans are not celebrating 250 years of America by watching a UFC fight,” said Dan Rayburn, an independent streaming analyst. “This is really a private event.” Spectator-in-Chief Trump has made sports a recurring feature of his presidency, weighing in on issues including transgender athletes and pay for college football players, and has attended a range of major sporting events. France delayed the Group of Seven summit, which starts on Monday, to accommodate Trump’s attendance at the UFC event. About a fifth of Americans call themselves MMA fans. According to the findings of the Reuters/Ipsos poll, they do not have a particularly high opinion overall of Trump’s job performance, with 45% approving and 55% disapproving. That exceeds his 35% approval rating among all Americans but is well below his 79% approval rating among Republicans. MMA fans skew male and tend to identify as more politically independent, with nearly half of those polled saying they do not identify with either party. About a third identified as Republicans and one in five as Democrats. The arena will provide an intimate setting for the bouts. Some fighters are expected to begin their walkout to the Octagon from the Oval Office and then pass through the Rose Garden or the West Wing colonnade. The arena is 20 rows deep on all sides. Noise from the sound system caroms off the facade of the White House’s Truman Balcony, shaking the executive mansion’s walls. Tens of thousands of people will be able to watch the fights on a big screen from a nearby park. Daytime temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) are expected to cool by the evening, but the U.S. National Weather Service forecasts rain and thunderstorms. The arena was not built with a roof. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jacob Bogage in Washington; Additional reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Will Dunham)

Gov. Abigail Spanberger and whatever members of the Virginia Democratic Party that aren’t in a war of words with her still speak of fulfilling their affordability agenda, which we have debunked in earlier columns as nothing more than more taxpayer-funded subsidies or draconian controls on providers like landlords. However, the news that Rideout Arsenal, a firearms designer and manufacturer, will be moving from Fredericksburg to a new, $22 million manufacturing facility in Thomasville, Georgia, brings new questions about their real commitment to affordability. According to surveys developed by Robert Half, a human resources consulting firm, and conducted by independent research firms, 62 percent of Americans would relocate if their job moved and 75 percent of 18- to 35-year-olds would. So, let’s say that 50 percent of the 100 jobs Gov. Brian Kemp announced this week in telling the Georgia press about Rideout’s move are ex-pat Virginians. That means 50 people in one of the most expensive places to live in the United States are now unemployed. According to City-Data.com, the Spotsylvania cost of living index is 125.8, meaning expenses are about 25.8 percent above the U.S. average. That’s a lot of rent assistance and Medicaid they will need (if we ever get the budget passed … but I digress). Travis and Kelsey Rideout have said that the new gun laws that the governor signed earlier this year significantly influenced their decision to move. Jim Wood, owner of Big Ridge Guns and Archery in Waynesboro, Virginia, as well as a city councilor there, told me, “States like Georgia are creating an economic plan that benefits the citizens of their state and making it appealing for businesses such as Remington, Heckler and Koch, Rideout Arsenal, Glock and Daniel Defense to make it their home base of operations. The states that lose these great companies due to their taxation, woke ideology and left-wing social activism are the driving force in the recent cultural migration increase.” By the way, according to BestPlaces.com, the median home price in Fredericksburg is $399,200. In Thomasville, Georgia, it is $189,000. So in a way, the governor has made it more affordable—for the Rideouts and their employees who chose to leave with them. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a group focused on voter registration, criminal, and economic justice was raided by the FBI Thursday in connection with a voter fraud investigation. On Friday morning, Statehouse News Bureau’s Jo Ingles posted on X that she spoke with OCC board member Prentiss Haney, who indicated that FBI agents came to their Northeast Ohio office on Thursday. Agents reportedly searched and took laptops and other electronic devices and interviewed those with the organization. NEW – A leader of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative tells me FBI agents came to the group's Cleveland office yesterday. Prentiss Haney says members of the group have been questioned and, in some cases, laptops have been seized in a possible voter fraud case.— Jo Ingles (@joingles) June 12, 2026 In speaking with Ingles, Haney said the raid was “politically motivated” and compared it to one of the most brutal moments of the civil rights movement. “This is not normal business. I mean there’s no reason for over 100 agents to be knocking on the doors of everyday Ohioans,” he said. “Demanding and accusing people of voter fraud as if it was a witch hunt and, and scaring them with the children, following them in their cars to school and to work. I mean this was a full-out assault. I mean, we haven’t seen anything like this since Selma.” This refers to the March 7, 1965 “Bloody Sunday” incident in Selma, Alabama where state troopers attacked civil rights marchers with clubs and tear gas. “When have we ever seen federal forces used to come after civil rights leaders, community organizers, volunteers who are doing voting rights at this scale? So that is very concerning where we are at,” he added. CBS News later reported on Friday that the FBI presented a search warrant, citing “multiple sources familiar with the matter,” and noting that it was ” part of an ongoing fraud-related investigation.” The Ohio Organizing Collective describes itself as having a vision “to organize everyday Ohioans, building transformative power organizations for racial, social, and economic justice” as well as “build a democratic multi-racial populist governing coalition in Ohio.” The group has posted on social media against HB 472, a bill that just passed the state legislature and is awaiting Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature. The bill requires photo ID for mail-in ballots and is meant to “complement” a resolution the state legislature also passed that would enshrine voter ID into the constitution. Ohioans will vote on the ballot initiative in November. The group also has spoken out against Louisiana v. Callais, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in April against racially drawn congressional districts. The Ohio Organizing Collective also took a stance against Secretary of State Frank LaRose sharing voter data with the Department of Justice to verify voter eligibility as well. Thursday’s raid has drawn the outrage of Ohio Democrats, including Reps. Shontell Brown and Joyce Beatty, as well as Democrat nominee for governor Amy Acton and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running against Republican Sen. Jon Husted in the 2026 special election. Ohio Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathleen Clyde also spoke out, as did Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb. Five alarm over at @OHDems. Do they always react this way when there’s “nothing to find?” Asking for a friend. pic.twitter.com/8JTTm5ZpXC— Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) June 12, 2026 Marcell Strbich, who ran for secretary of state as a Republican but lost to Treasurer Robert Sprague, commented on the raid multiple times on X, claiming that “Ohio has a problem with third-party voter engagement organizations, defrauding elections,” and calling for new laws. Strbich has been vocal about the need for voter ID for mail-in ballots. I’ve been saying for a long time that Ohio has a problem with third-party voter engagement organizations, defrauding elections. This FBI raid should result in laws prohibiting non-election official activities. We already have online voter registration. https://t.co/znZF2TcHjx— Marcell Strbich (@marcellstrbich) June 12, 2026 CBS News’ reporting noted that in 2017, “a paid canvasser for Ohio Organizing Collaborative pleaded guilty for involvement in a fraudulent voter registration scheme.” The Daily Signal reached out to the organization and the FBI but did not hear back in time. A DOJ official told CBS News that the affidavit is under seal. “Search warrants are authorized by a judge and anything said by any organization or others in the media is unfounded speculation, as the target of any investigation is not privy to the search warrant affidavit until after the indictment,” the official said.

Politicians promise they’ll “help” us. President Donald Trump says he’ll “create the jobs and future you deserve.” President Joe Biden liked to say, “Help is on the way.” I prefer President Ronald Reagan’s: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” An economy runs best when government gets out of the way and lets free market competition work. Economist Donald Boudreaux gets that, and it’s why “The Triumph of Economic Freedom” is the title of his new book. Boudreaux explains in my new video: “The more we move away from free markets, the worse things become.” Biden’s spending increased inflation, and his administration gave billions of dollars to politically connected companies like Intel. Now, Trump’s doing similar things. “Free markets are on the ropes now,” says Boudreaux. “It’s really important that people step back, look at economic history … they’ll see that we prosper more the more economically free we are.” Now, people blame greed and free markets for the high cost of housing and daycare. “Housing is rising in prices chiefly because of government!” says Boudreaux. “Land use restrictions reduce the supply and restrict building. Rent control reduces the supply of rental housing … Daycare is riddled with government regulations, which raises the cost of those things.” Houses and daycare would be cheaper and better if capitalists were allowed to freely serve their customers without government intrusion. Likewise, AI will lower costs, but it will also eliminate jobs, so ignorant politicians like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., want laws to protect existing jobs. Bad idea, says Boudreaux. “Some jobs are destroyed, but others are created. The jobs created tend to be better … If we had today the same technology we had 40 years ago, the only web designers would have eight legs … Our living standards rise as a result of these innovations … People might not like change, but you can’t get economic growth without it.” Some politicians want to tell stores how many self-checkout lanes they’re allowed and how many employees must work at registers. “How does government know the ‘right’ number of workers in any business?! That’s up to those businesses,” says Boudreaux. “It’s in their interest to run their companies as efficiently as possible, which keeps down prices. When government does things like this, that’s going to raise the prices.” Seattle’s new socialist Mayor Katie Wilson says she’ll help people by making sure they have more leisure time. “You should have time to read a book and lay on the grass,” she says. “We need bread. But we need roses, too.” “Pretty words,” laughs Boudreaux, “but what business is it of government to decide how people should spend their time? That’s an individual decision. Why should government put its finger on the scale?” “To make life nicer,” I say. “If I want to work more, you’re making life worse for me, not nicer. I can smell the roses on my own time.” Wilson also says, “We cannot allow giant grocery chains to … close stores at will and leave behind food deserts.” “What she’s proposing,” replies Boudreaux, “is to prevent stores from closing or downsizing. Once she does that, she’ll find that fewer stores will move in. The long-run effect will be fewer grocery stores in Seattle.” Politicians’ belief that they know better how to help people sometimes leads to absurd ideas, like a Minnesota legislator’s plan to study the “benefits of shoplifting” because “perhaps people are relying on that … maybe it’s assisting them.” “Let’s then also study the benefits of pickpocketing, armed robbery and burglary,” replies Boudreaux. “After all, those people get income from that.” “These politicians just want to be kind,” I push back. “It’s not kind to people victimized by shoplifting. [It] raises the cost of operating grocery stores … which raises grocery prices that low-income families have to pay.” More often than not, government tries to help but makes things worse. COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

Virginia is on the verge of its first shutdown in modern history, and it all comes down to data centers and Democratic Party infighting. Democrats control the governor’s mansion, the state Senate, and the House, yet the party can’t get on the same page. “Virginia has to have a budget by June 30,” Republican Virginia state Sen. Glen Sturtevant told The Daily Signal. After fighting for “several months” on the budget, state leaders are locking horns over data centers and increasing taxes. “If there’s an actual shutdown and there’s no money appropriated, you know teachers aren’t getting paid, cops aren’t getting paid,” Sturtevant continued. Sturtevant explained that the Senate, including many Democrats, wants to eliminate the 20-year-old tax break for data centers that currently costs Virginia $2 billion a year that has to be made up for by taxing Virginians. House Democrats and Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger want to keep that tax break in place, protecting the data centers. This data center study the House cooked up with the Governor will be staffed by members of the data center industry and lobbyists. It’s a “blue ribbon” commission that’s designed to not actually accomplish anything. Giving a $2B a year tax break to Big Tech is not in the best… pic.twitter.com/AcQbUus1oz— Glen Sturtevant (@GlenSturtevant) June 13, 2026 “I am somebody who thinks we need to get rid of the data center tax break, because I don’t think we need to be giving $2 billion a year to huge AI big tech firms,” Sturtevant continued. “It’s ultimately Virginians who pay for that in higher electric bills.” Data centers have taken over Virginia in recent years. Eighty-eight have already been built, and 100 more have been approved and begun construction. Sturtevant says they have “worn out their welcome.” “It’s in my view that they don’t all need to be built in Virginia. There are 49 other states where they can build them. We’ve kind of done our fair share,” Sturtevant said. Gov. Spanberger is casting stones from a glass house. She signed a $500 million carbon tax into law. She betrayed her promise to repeal the car tax. Now she refuses to tell her party to support Republican proposals for a gas tax holiday. There are plenty of things that… https://t.co/dGB8MjkAy0— VA Senate GOP (@VASenateGOP) June 10, 2026 Twenty years ago, the tax break was put in place to support and grow Virginia, creating jobs and bringing new technology to the commonwealth. Thanks to the tax break and the industry growing, Sturtevant says these are “the largest, most profitable, wealthiest companies in the world,” who no longer need a tax break incentivizing them to build in Virginia. Now the centers cost Virginians billions. “In order to pay the teachers and pay the police and pave the roads, that extra money in many respects has to be made up by average everyday Virginians by paying higher property taxes, sales taxes, and income tax.” The Virginia House has presented its budget, with support from the governor, which includes this tax break. But overall, Sturtevant says, “it’s bad” and “there’s a lot to be concerned about.” In addition to the tax break, House Democrats are pushing for a 150% salary increase for state legislators and a recreational marijuana policy “which will basically turn Virginia into like a Colorado or California having a pot shop on every corner,” the senator told The Daily Signal. Virginia's 10th Congressional District has the most data centers in the country. Unfortunately, the data centers have caused the utility bills to increase for residents that live the district. President Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which is tech companies agreeing to…— Julie Perry for Congress (VA-10) (@Julie4Virginia) June 13, 2026