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A lawsuit filed in federal court this past weekend seeks to block the White House from hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match on White House grounds next week, an event that would coincide with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.

The event, “UFC Freedom 250,” is set to occur on June 14. Although it is happening on Trump’s birthday, it is being billed as part of the administration’s planned celebrations for the country’s 250th birthday — despite the match not being authorized or approved by Congress. In preparation for the planned bout, a massive structure called “The Claw” has been erected on the South Lawn of the White House, where the event will take place. The structure surpasses the height of the White House.

The Public Integrity Project filed the lawsuit on behalf of two Virginia residents: Susan Douglas, a civic activist and self-identified Democrat; and Paul Romano, a Vietnam War veteran who has previously run for public office as a Republican.

The suit, which was filed in the District Court of Columbia, is seeking an emergency block on the event. Although the large structure is already built, the lawsuit seeks to forbid “organizers of UFC Freedom 250 to erect structures, including the so-called ‘Claw,’ on the South Lawn.”

In an explainer of the lawsuit on its........

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