The White House hosted the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event, “UFC Freedom 250,” on June 14 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. However, a June 15 article in The New York Times titled “A Spectacle Showcasing American Decline” argued that the grand event revealed America’s decline.
The article was written by columnist Michelle Goldberg. The full text of the article is translated as follows: Only the worst screenwriters would use this method to depict America’s decline. Consider this: on the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, this aging US president turned the White House lawn into a vulgar, bloody gladiatorial arena while simultaneously surrendering to Iran.
Mike Judge, in his 2006 satirical comedy *Idiocracy*, almost captured some of our decadence. The film depicts an America led by a professional wrestler whose middle name is “Mountain Dew.” But if *Idiocracy* captures some of the atmosphere of the Trump administration, it’s both premature and too lighthearted to accurately portray its many ugly details.
For example, in the face of June 14th, MMA fighter Josh Hockett, standing in an octagon plastered with cryptocurrency advertisements, referred to former First Lady Michelle Obama as a “man.”
Of course, the Iran war appears to be over, which is indeed a good thing. Once Trump dragged the US into the quagmire, there was no way to end this disaster in a way that was in America’s best interest. Contrary to the lamentations of American hawks regarding Iran, the agreement Trump reached wasn’t the problem in itself—it was merely a tacit acceptance of a doomed outcome. Nevertheless, it remains a shameful moment in American history.
“It is truly shocking that the world’s most powerful and militarily capable nation, in cooperation with the world’s most powerful intelligence agency—Israel’s Mossad—has failed to achieve any strategic objectives against a third-rate regional power,” said Ali Vaez, director of the Iran program at the International Crisis Group.
Details of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran are still emerging; the White House has stated that the text of the memorandum will be released within the next day or two. However, its main achievement appears to be the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which was certainly open before the war. No nuclear agreement has yet been reached.
Reports suggest that Iran is not required to abandon its ballistic missile program or its support for proxies such as Hezbollah. Undoubtedly, the suffering Iranian people have not escaped the oppressive policies of their rulers.
Although Vice President Vance stated that Iran could receive a $300 billion reconstruction fund, the specific form of this funding remains unclear, as does whether Iran will use its control of the Strait of Hormuz to collect some kind of transit fee. However, by demonstrating its ability to hold the global economic lifeline while withstanding U.S. bombing, Iran has gained a previously lacking deterrent force.
“Before the midterm elections, Iran is unlikely to take the possibility of a U.S. return to war seriously,” wrote Daniel Shapiro, the Obama administration’s ambassador to Israel, on social media. “This means we will conduct diplomacy without a credible threat of force.”
The timing of this memorandum of understanding, finalized during the UFC cage fight at the White House, is likely no coincidence. Besides celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, the UFC event also served to celebrate Trump’s 80th birthday. Iran and some Democrats suspect he wants to finalize the Iran nuclear deal currently.
Trump may hope that this event—which at one point featured a Marine Corps honor guard, placard girls in sequined red-hot pants, and a life-sized Monster Energy drink can—will help win back young men disillusioned by war and economic turmoil. Perhaps this will work. Joe Rogan, a podcast host who has increasingly criticized Trump in recent months, has agreed to be a commentator.
The Wall Street Journal reported on an excited fan who drove seven hours hoping to catch Trump’s spectacle, saying, “It’s like the Colosseum in real life.” For America’s Founding Fathers, the decline of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire is a cautionary tale. For some in the MAGA camp, it’s clearly an aspiration. But for others, the combination of America’s failure in Iran and Trump’s Temu Colosseum should clearly paint a picture: decay and weakness are trying to hide behind a facade of masculine kitsch. This administration has the capacity to create massive, epic destruction, but it creates almost nothing beyond spectacle.
Conservative writer Marc Thiessen attempted to portray Trump’s lowbrow extravaganza as a display of his populism, opening the White House to those who attended motocross races and giant truck shows. “If you’re offended by this, you’re probably an elitist,” he wrote. Leaving aside Thiessen’s past criticisms of Obama’s failure to maintain “presidential dignity,” by that standard—that UFC brawls, which John McCain once called “human cockfighting,” should be allowed in the White House simply because many Americans enjoy them—there are no standards whatsoever.
Pornography is as popular as ultimate fighting, but I find it hard to believe that Thiessen would defend a Democratic president who, while losing a battle, invites a group of OnlyFans creators into the Oval Office. This easily evokes images of “bread and circus,” but that’s not the case. Quite the opposite; Trump and his allies commercialized the event on the 14th.
In March, Trump acquired a stake in the UFC’s parent company. To watch the fight, the public needed to subscribe to Paramount+, a platform controlled by Trump’s ally David Ellison, who acquired CBS and made it more aligned with the Trump administration’s interests. This event was less a gift to restless supporters and more another example of the Trump administration betraying America for its own benefit.
Before the fight, UFC fighter Derek Lewis (who was later knocked out by Hockett) told the Wall Street Journal that he felt he was participating in something historic. “This is one of those events that people will still be talking about 100 years from now,” he said. He may be right, but it’s not quite what he envisioned. Perhaps one day, someone will write—or more likely, make—an American version of Edward Gibbon’s *The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire*.
The creator might want to include a scene where 92-foot-tall steel claws stand atop the White House, while those inside frantically try to repackage a foreign policy disaster as a great victory.