Dear Joe,
I wish I could sit down with you face to face and explain why so many of us were offended by the UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House.
For me, it had nothing to do with the UFC or who showed up for the fights. The brand you and Dana have built is a bona fide American success story. More power to you. As for the fighters, in my book, anyone brave enough to put it all on the line in the arena is remarkable to witness. Their dedication and discipline inspire me. I don’t understand anyone who can’t admire that.
And as for the people who attended, I, for one, love Shane Gillis. I think he’s hilarious and brilliant. It was a show. A once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. I can’t blame anyone for wanting to witness it firsthand.
My problem is that I believe some of our public spaces are sacred. And unlike many of the great powers that came before us, these American monuments belong to all of us. Not to whoever happens to hold power at the moment.
The White House does not belong to Donald Trump. It does not belong to any President. It belongs to the people. To treat it as Caesar treated the Colosseum is antithetical to everything our founding fathers fought for.
This is not Rome. Presidents are not emperors doling out bread and circuses for the peasants. The White House is the People’s House. This “celebration” could have happened in any stadium within a stone’s throw of the South Lawn. No one would have had an issue with it.
But that was obviously Donald Trump’s whole point. By holding the event on the South Lawn, what he was saying to the rest of us is:
“This is my house. I own it. I will do with it what I please. I’ll build a colosseum and have the gladiators fight under my gaze. I’ll tear down the East Wing. I’ll pave over the Rose Garden. I’ll cover everything in gold and marble. I’ll erase the names of all the men who came before me.”
The fights were an exhibition of imperial domination, not a celebration of our 250th anniversary as a democracy.
The White House is not Buckingham Palace. It is not the Palace of Versailles. It is not the Forbidden City of Beijing. It does not belong to an emperor, or a king, or a commissar.
The White House belongs to us. All of us. The person who sits behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office is nothing more than an honored guest. A temporary caretaker.
The President is our servant. Not our Caesar.
Respectfully, Hunter
P.S. Cage match between me and Don Jr.? Your call on the venue. Anywhere but the South Lawn.
Strait of Hormuz is open
Trump starts war with Iran
Iran closes Strait of Hormuz
Trump pays 300B to Iran
War supposedly ends
Iran opens strait of Hormuz
Can't remember the last time I saw a country "win" a war and pay reparations
The art of the deal
NEW: Video released by the Philadelphia Police Department shows the two suspects wanted in the murder of a Penn State student who was shot while returning home from an NBA Finals watch party.
22-year-old Billy Schmidt was killed during what investigators say was an armed robbery attempt early Saturday morning, suffering a shot to the chest and pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a hospital.
Authorities also say the two suspects discarded their sweatshirts and masks as they fled the scene.
The Philadelphia Police Department is offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction, asking anyone with information about the suspects to contact it.
If you hate KAT, I suggest you reconsider...
"I feel like other than losing a child there's nothing worse you could go through and it builds you up and it strengthens you beyond measure. That's why I got Philippians 4:13 and the date tattooed on my neck. I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me but I was strengthened on April 13 when I lost my mother. That's been my favorite Bible verse my whole entire life since I was little. I didn't know the significance it would have in my life when I became an adult. But what I do know is that I truly can do anything when I walk in faith, when I walk with the angels beside me. I feel anything's possible, I feel nothing's impossible...
I'm just grateful to be in this position because I know a lot of friends in mind that are not here to see this moment. I know a lot of people I love tremendously that aren't here to give me that hug or to give me that text message. I'm doing this for them. I do this for them, I do it for my mother's country, I do it for everybody in Dominican Republic, I do it for everyone in the city that welcomed my mother when she immigrated over. I do it for all my family in New Jersey that allowed me to be raised and allowed me to love this game of basketball and allowed me to be a kid with my mother and enjoy those times. It takes a tribe to get here and it takes a village and I'm so blessed that I've had the village I've had in my life to get to this point"
A good culture is hard to create and easy to lose so you have to fight for it every day- with a little bit of grit, courage, and an open mind. - Jamie Dimon Letter to Shareholders 2026
But I do not believe with this company, with its complexity and global reach, could have survived or thrived that way. When I look back, I do believe the exceptional effort that we all made really made a huge difference - Jamie Dimon Shareholder Letter 2026
Thomas Massie: "I vote with Republicans 91% of the time. And the 9% I don't, they're taking up for pedophiles, starting another war, or bankrupting our country."
An absolute mic drop. 🎤⬇️