Utopia Talk / Politics / Trump's $60mm birthday party

Rugian rank	Thu Jun 11 18:21:18 Federal agencies and the UFC are spending at least $60 million to pull off the White House cage fight set to take place Sunday, which is President Trump’s birthday. The funds have gone toward building an octagon fighting arena on the White House South Lawn, purchasing and delivering food and paying up to 900 workers to remain on-site since May 20 for the event’s success, according to court filings. The Executive Office of the President, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Park Police, Interior Department, National Park Service, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Aviation Administration are each involved in coordinating the event — part of the administration’s celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday. “In preparation, well over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been expended. More than 4,000 spectators are expected to attend on the South Lawn, including more than 1,000 members of our armed services, and more than 120,000 visitors are expected to watch from the nearby Ellipse after winning free tickets in a lottery,” a Tuesday filing from the government says. “Many of the event’s attendees will visit from outside the capital region, and have already invested personal resources in lodging, air transportation, and other arrangements,” it continues. “Fourteen world-class athletes, who have been training for months, have traveled from all over the world to compete (including for two world championships).” UFC’s parent company, TKO, is paying for the event at a loss. “We will not be making money on America’s 250th anniversary. This is an investment for the long term. This is about earned media,” Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of TKO, told The Hollywood Reporter. “We see this once-in-a-lifetime stage as a strategic investment to drive subscriber acquisition at Paramount+, massive audience sampling for the UFC overall and Super Bowl-like earned media across the globe,” he added. Critics have taken issue with corporate branding at the White House. One lawsuit, seeking to halt the fight, alleges the event is “deeply corrupt.” The challenge says brands “are clambering over each other to see their brands plastered adjacent to the Executive Residence and Reflecting Pool.” “And the UFC’s broadcast partner, Paramount Skydance — which is run by two other Trump allies, Larry and David Ellison — has decided that no American will be able to take in this ‘celebration of America’ without first paying $8.99 plus tax for a Paramount Plus streaming subscription,” it continues. The lawsuit also raises concerns with Trump’s decision to buy thousands of dollars of stock in TKO prior to the fight, as disclosed in the president’s financial records. Amid concerns about the appearance of impropriety, the Trump administration is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with UFC to create a public-private partnership later Thursday.
murder rank	Thu Jun 11 19:38:29 Yeah, but he's not taking a salary, so it evens out. ;o) -
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