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.
TWEEPS: 10,000 people turn 65 in America, EVERY DAY. Because we're living longer, folks over 85 will DOUBLE by 2040.
And Kamala Harris is the ONLY candidate focused on having Medicare pay for long term home care for our elderly NOW.
🚨This is a HUGE DEAL.🚨
Can we get 1,000 fast RTs and replies using the hashtag #DemsWillDeliverHomeCare to get it trending on Twitter?
Please and thank you!🙏💪
Jared Kushner received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia just months after leaving the White House for his investment fund. New reports show that 99% of the funds received are from foreign sources and have returned no profits to investors. We must investigate.
🚨BREAKING: Former Trump Secretary of Defense and retired 4-star General James Mattis calls Trump “the most dangerous person” in America after previously describing him as a threat to the Constitution.
RETWEET to thank General Mattis for standing up for democracy!
Given that all evidence indicates that Fortress Investment refinanced Jim Justice's loan debt on The Greenbrier, I got on the Google machine and found that Fortress is a wholly owned investment vehicle of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
1/3
.@JimJusticeWV has totally abdicated leadership on solving the PEIA crisis. And worse, he lied to teachers during the 2018 historic strike & every year thereafter when he said he would solve the PEIA funding crisis. He has no credibility. https://t.co/aQPXRLkRF4
TWEEPS: I remember January 6th vividly.
It was a shocking, disgraceful day.
He cannot be our President again.
Can we get 1,000 quick RTs and replies using the hashtag #WeRememberJan6th to get it trending on Twitter?
Please and thank you.
🚨BREAKING NEWS!!! After days of constant denying, this just happened:
Can you say yes or no whether you have talked to Vladimir Putin since you stopped being president?
TRUMP: I don't comment on that, but I will tell you that, if I did, it's a smart thing.
DONALD TRUMP: "You tend to put [Supreme Court justices] in young. Only stupid people put old. You don’t put old in."
JOHN MICKLETHWAIT: "You’re a 78-year-old man running for president."
NEW: Bob Woodword speaks out for the first time since his book revealed the interactions Donald Trump had with Vladimir Putin after leaving the WH and the COVID tests he sent, which the Kremlin confirmed.
He's not mincing words. Whoa!