Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) criticized President Donald Trump and his family for using the White House as a venue for a UFC fight and profiting from it.
Sanders took to X on Monday and pointed out that while a UFC fight was being hosted at the White House, the Trump family was selling coins priced up to $12,000 to profit from the event.
He referred to this as an act of kleptocracy, stating, “They’re not draining the swamp. They are the swamp.”
UFC Trump Coins Raise Eyebrows
Trump hosted the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event featuring seven mixed martial arts bouts on the White House lawn on Sunday, marking the first professional sporting event held there. The event was part of celebrations for the nation’s 250th anniversary and coincided with the President’s 80th birthday.
The “Freedom 250”-themed silver and gold coins, marketed as a collaboration between UFC and the Trump Organization, were sold ahead of the fight and are still available for sale on the Realtrumpcoins official website. The most expensive coin, a gold medallion priced at $11,999.99, even came with a portrait of Trump and UFC chief Dana White, while the silver one cost $250. The coins were called “Trump Coins” and were promoted as being “designed by President Trump.”
The Trump Organization is only licensing Trump’s brand for the coins and is not involved in manufacturing or selling them, according to CNN.
Trump bought up to $50,000 worth of shares in TKO Group Holdings (NYSE:TKO), the UFC’s parent company, in March, according to Reuters. The UFC said it spent about $60 million to cover event costs, while the event’s streaming closed captions on Paramount SkyDance Corp‘s (NASDAQ:PSKY) Paramount+ were sponsored by Trump Coin. Separately, World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm linked to Trump’s family and allies, helped fund bonus payouts to standout fighters during the event.
Political Backlash Over UFC Event
This incident has sparked criticism not just from Sanders, but also from other political figures. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) pointed out that everyday Americans are facing rising costs, while the President is hosting UFC fights on the White House lawn.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton referenced the phrase “Not his house. It’s our house,” commonly used in political protests, and described the event as a “literal cage match.”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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