On Sunday, a large crowd gathered at the White House for a unique birthday celebration organized by President Donald Trump, featuring a UFC event. However, the occasion was marked by the noticeable absence of several top-tier celebrities who declined their invitations.

UFC President Dana White disclosed to TIME Magazine in the previous month that he had reached out to notable figures such as Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Mario Lopez, Jason Statham, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson with invites to the exclusive Freedom 250 event.

Despite these high-profile invitations, none of the mentioned celebrities made an appearance at the gathering.

Nevertheless, the event did not lack star power entirely, as other prominent supporters of President Trump were present to enjoy the fights on the South Lawn.

Among the attendees were tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg, NHL players Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, comedians Tony Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis, as well as social media influencer Logan Paul.

Country singer Zac Brown even performed The Star-Spangled Banner, moments before a dozen jets flew overhead as AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ blared.

There were also some surprise guests, including Poland’s right-wing president Karol Nawrocki and British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury, who was pictured wearing a ‘Trump for prime minister’ hat. 

‘It’s been a long time, but boy oh boy am I happy to be here for this historic event. Freedom, at the White House, and it’s Donald Trump’s birthday,’ Fury told Paramount+ announcer Jon Anik. 

Of the 4,300 seats available for spectators, 1,200 were reserved for active-duty service members from various branches of the armed forces, as the event was used to promote a number of charities benefiting both veterans and 9/11 heroes.

US Navy veteran Royce Williams, who fought in the Korean War and shot down four Soviet fighter jets, was also given an honor as he escorted fighter Michael Chandler into the Octagon for his bout against Mauricio Ruffy – who wound up defeating him with a TKO in the first round. 

President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday with a UFC fight on the White House’s South Lawn Sunday night

Some A-list celebrities who were invited to the bash, meant to mark America’s 250th birthday, opted not to attend including Jared Leto and Adam Sandler

Former wrestler and movie star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson also declined the invitation

Among the crowd were many top White House officials who made grand entrances to the event – including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson and FBI director Kash Patel – who brought his country singer girlfriend Alexis Wilkins – were also seen enjoying the spectacle.

Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller was joined by his wife, Katie, just 11 days after she gave birth to the couple’s fourth child.

Members of the Trump family got some of the best seats in the house, with Barron perched right behind his mother and father.

Melania’s father, Viktor Knavs, attended the celebration and was positioned in the audience close to his daughter. 

Other Trump family members who gathered for the celebration were Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, their sons Joseph and Theo Kushner, as well as Donald Trump Jr, his new wife, Bettina Trump, Eric and Lara Trump with their daughter Carolina, Tiffany Trump, and her husband, Michael Boulos, and granddaughter Kai Trump.

Some major Trump allies were spotted at the event, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Comedians Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe were spotted enjoying the fight night

Zac Brown performed The Star-Spangled Banner at the beginning of the night

The festivities came to an end when Justin Gaethje won the lightweight championship and thanked the president, who donned a white ‘USA’ cap for the evening’s final event.

Gaethje carried an American flag and thanked military members after his bloodied battle with Georgian-Spaniard Ilia Topuria in the co-main event ended around 1am ET.

Then, it was Trump’s turn to enter the spotlight. The president made his way into the cage alongside First Lady Melania as pyrotechnics sparkled from the structure above, dubbed ‘the Claw’. 

Dazzling fireworks lit up the sky above the White House in red, white and blue as chants of ‘USA’ rang out from the crowd to toast Gaethje’s victory. 

Trump greeted Gaethje again as he and Melania shook the fighter’s hand. The president then patted Gaethje on the shoulder before engaging the fighter in a lengthy conversation. 

When the fight night finally came to a close early Monday morning, the Trump family was seen gathering around Gaethje, with Ivanka’s son, Joseph, holding one of the championship belts.

The family was also seen beaming in a photo Ivanka shared to social media as they circled the commander-in-chief in the Octagon.

A US service member was pictured saluting on stage at the event Sunday night

Retired US Navy Captain and Medal of Honor recipient E Royce Williams was honored at the Freedom 250 celebration

President Donald Trump is pictured arriving at the event with UFC CEO Dana White

Members of the Trump family got some of the best seats in the house

Forecasted rain held off for the night, allowing the fight card to get underway shortly after the original scheduled 8pm start.

As the festivities came to an end, many declared the Freedom 250 event a success – with President Trump boasting on his Truth Social page that the night was ‘PERFECT.’ 

But the night was not without controversy, with fighter Joe Hokit bizarrely telling the crowd, ‘Michelle Obama is a man.’

Another fighter, Sean Strickland, had to be escorted out of the event by US Secret Service and other law enforcement following his mocking comments about Jeffrey Epstein. 

First Son Eric Trump also faced backlash on Monday after ‘fake’ leaked messages between him and former fighter Daniel Cormier asking if any of the White House fights were ‘rigged’ went viral.

The controversy started when former fighter Daniel Cormier’s X account posted messages that appeared to be from President Trump’s middle son. 

Ivanka Trump shared photos from her father’s UFC birthday celebration on social media

One of the photos showed the family posing with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje

The president congratulated Justin Gaethje for his stoppage victory over Ilia Topuria

In the supposed correspondence, Eric Trump asked if any of the fighters appearing at the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House’s South Lawn were injured, or if Cormier planned to place any bets. 

It immediately sparked rampant ‘cheating’ concerns on social media.

‘I’m probably going to get a lot of flak for bringing this to light, however I refuse to stay silent,’ Cormier wrote in a caption posted with screengrabs of Eric Trump’s supposed messages. 

‘The UFC is a sport that I am deeply passionate about. I will not tolerate this type of insider behavior. Shame on anyone trying to ruin this beautiful event.’

The one-time fighter has since deleted the post and told DC-based journalist Nicholas Ballasy that his account had been hacked.

‘They’re not real,’ Cormier said of the Eric Trump posts. ‘I can’t believe you guys believed that, like, who believes something like that?’ 

Sean Strickland was escorted out of a UFC Freedom 250 event by US Secret Service

Daniel Cormier (left) alongside podcaster Joe Rogan (right) at the UFC Freedom 250 event Sunday night on the White House’s South Lawn. Cormier has said the Eric Trump messages he received were fake and a result of a hack  

‘I got hacked or something,’ Cormier added, talking to Ballasy as he departed the White House at the conclusion of the UFC event early Monday morning.

The journalist then asked, ‘So you didn’t post it?’

‘Why would I do that?’ Cormier said, getting into his car. 

Cormier posted a similar sentiment on his X account.  

On his own social media accounts, Eric Trump made clear the messages were bogus. 

‘This is completely fake! I have never reached out to Daniel. In fact, this is scary,’ he posted Sunday night as the fights were getting underway. 

A 12-jet flyover is seen over the White House prior to UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday night 

Fireworks were seen over the White House following UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn 

The event drew more than 4,000 spectators to the White House’s South Lawn

UFC CEO Dana White now says such a spectacle at the White House will never occur again.

‘It was an amazing experience, this was a one-of-one,’ he said. ‘It will never happen again.’

He explained that the headaches over the weather for a rare outdoors show, the logistics of building the stage on the White House South Lawn and staging events at federal landmarks were logistical nightmares.

Then, there were the soaring costs associated with having an event at the White House. 

The UFC boasted of spending $60 million on UFC Freedom 250, which wasn’t expected to turn a profit due to the tickets awarded to service members and the free watch party at the Ellipse abutting the White House’s South Lawn.

Meanwhile, Washington DC, spent an estimated $10 million to $12 million on security for the event. A city spokesman told ESPN that the city does not expect to be reimbursed by the UFC. 

‘I can’t afford it,’ White admitted. ‘I’ll never do the Sphere again and we’ll never do this again.’

Tragedy struck over the weekend in a Utah canyon when a BASE jumping accident claimed the lives of two individuals, including a renowned daredevil who once performed with Madonna during the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show, officials reported.

According to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office in Utah, emergency crews were called to Mineral Bottom, a secluded desert location near the Utah-Colorado border, on Sunday following reports of injuries sustained during a BASE jumping attempt.

Authorities have identified one of the deceased as Andy Lewis, an acclaimed extreme sports athlete celebrated for his prowess in BASE jumping. This high-risk activity involves leaping from a fixed structure, such as a building, bridge, or cliff, and parachuting to the ground.

The ill-fated jump was a tandem one, meaning the two individuals were harnessed together, as detailed in a social media update from Aerial Arts Moab. The acrobatics company lamented the loss, referring to Lewis as both “co-owner and best friend.”

Lewis also founded BASE Jump Moab, a company that provided tandem jumps for novices, pairing them with experienced guides equipped with parachutes. Promotional content from the business features duos stepping off sheer cliff faces, experiencing freefall before their parachutes deploy.

Lewis’ risk-taking knew few bounds  

In BASE jumping circles, Lewis had a huge following and a reputation for pushing the envelope – leaping into tighter spaces or deploying his parachute later than his peers would dare, said John McEvoy, a BASE jumping instructor in Twin Falls, Idaho, who has jumped with Lewis.

“He had an incredible level of athleticism and skill that was developed over years of practice,” McEvoy said. “But then he would take an incredible amount of risk.”

Grand County Sheriff Jamison Wiggins confirmed the other person who was killed was Danny Joe Kregle, a 68-year-old father and grandfather who was described by a family member as an accomplished businessman.

“Danny had a wonderful sense of humor and was always looking for ways to make people laugh,” relative Sydney Laverty told The Times-Independent. “One of his greatest joys was performing magic tricks alongside his granddaughter.”

Lewis was also a prominent figure in the niche sports of slacklining and tricklining, which combine elements of high-wire walking with aerial acrobatics – sometimes at perilous heights.

He went from obscure athlete to overnight celebrity when he appeared onstage in Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. Dressed in a Roman toga, Lewis bounced and executed tricks on his inch-wide line like it was a trampoline while Madonna sang behind him.

“My phone actually rang itself to death three days in a row,” Lewis said soon afterward in an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late night show.

BASE jumping much riskier than skydiving, study shows

Though there’s no official tally of BASE jumping deaths, a list compiled by the website BASEaddict.com shows 540 total fatalities worldwide since 1981 – including 30 people killed last year. Prominent deaths include BASE jumper Dean Potter and his climbing partner, Graham Hunt, who were killed in 2015 while attempting a wingsuit flight in California’s Yosemite National Park.

A study focused on BASE jumping in Norway, published in a medical journal in 2007, estimated that BASE jumping carried risks of injury or death five to eight times greater than skydiving.

Lewis openly acknowledged the sport’s inherent danger.

“It’s weird to think about how many people are dead, because it’s like a normal thing,” Lewis told documentary filmmaker Ella Warnick in an interview published last year.

Tandem BASE jumping carries additional risk because it straps together two people, one of whom generally lacks experience, under a single parachute, McEvoy said. But because they involve novices, they also tend to be the most low-risk, basic types of jumps.

“Within BASE, it’s a very controversial topic,” McEvoy said. “There’s a lot of people who say it’s the stupidest thing in the world and others arguing: `No, we’re giving people the experience of their lives.’”

No one immediately returned phone, text and Facebook messages left Monday for BASE Jump Moab.

Lewis won four straight world championships in competitive slacklining from 2008 through 2011. Lewis set a Guinness World Record for slackline surfing, swaying his feet side to side in a rocking motion that mimics surfing, while keeping his balance above China’s Diaoshuilou waterfall in 2011.

In 2014, he walked a slackline suspended between two hot air balloons more than 4,000 feet above the Nevada desert.

Lewis’ other sport made him an overnight celebrity, thanks to Madonna.

In the wake of Anthony’s conviction and sentencing, his supporters remain vocal about their discontent and concerns.

The court found Anthony guilty and sentenced him to a 35-year imprisonment on Tuesday, June 9. The conviction stems from an incident where Anthony fatally stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, last year.

Supporters of Anthony argue that his actions were in self-defense during the altercation with Metcalf.

A courtroom sketch depicts Karmelo Anthony alongside his attorney during the murder trial, as he also appears in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. (Image Credit: Pat Lopez/Texas Department of Criminal Justice)

One of them is Donna Robinson, a parole supervisor within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Dallas Morning News reported she made a comment on Facebook that cost her her job.

Addressing comments about the sentencing, she wrote “that Anthony would be protected in prison, adding she didn’t care about the victim’s family’s loss,” according to the outlet.

Karmelo Anthony was convicted of killing Austin Metcalf. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice; Jeff Metcalf)

News Media also reported Howard University professor Stacey Patton wrote an opinion article on her Substack “Dear Jeff Metcalf: Your Son Is Dead Because You Failed to Teach Him That Black Boys Have Boundaries,” which essentially blames the victim for the killing.

Another supporter, W. Burlette Carter, who is a professor emerita of law at George Washington University, made her concerns with the trial public following the verdict.

She made a post on X that said, “Karmelo Anthony was entitled to a jury of his peers. He did not get that. On that ground alone, he is entitled to a new trial. Minorities are not interchangeable. The prosecutor’s reported proffered reasons for striking all black jurors —that they were teachers—appears to be pretext. Anthony needs a new lawyer on appeal and in a new trial.”

Karmelo Anthony poses for a new mugshot photo. (Collin County Jail)

Anthony’s trial was made up of jurors who are fellow U.S. citizens — also known as a “jury of one’s peers.” In all criminal prosecutions, the U.S. Constitution says the accused has “the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.”

News Media has reached out to Howard University, TDCJ, and Burlette Carter for comment.

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The Trump administration is signaling a willingness to engage in discussions with Anthropic regarding its directive that prohibits foreign access to the company’s advanced AI models, according to information obtained by The Post.

A high-ranking official from the White House, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the internal discussions, indicated that a compromise could potentially be reached through direct negotiations with Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei.

“It’s crucial to prevent cutting-edge models from being misused,” the source familiar with the situation commented. “The focus is on collaborating with Dario to find a solution.”

This statement marks the first hint that the administration might view the recent export-control measure—which required Anthropic to deactivate its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models globally—as an opening for dialogue rather than a definitive ban.

Iran has criticized their experience at the World Cup, describing it as ‘oppressive’ and ‘disastrous,’ with claims of being expelled from the United States immediately following their opening match on Monday night.

After a dramatic 2-2 draw against New Zealand in Los Angeles, striker Mehdi Taremi issued an appeal to FIFA, urging them to intervene and address what he called an ‘unfair’ situation at the World Cup.

Before the tournament began, an arrangement was made for Iran to travel to and from the U.S. for each of their group stage games, all of which are hosted in the country.

Since the conflict erupted in February, Iran’s World Cup participation has been shrouded in uncertainty.

Former President Donald Trump cautioned Iran against attending, citing concerns for their ‘own life and safety.’ The Iranian team subsequently relocated their base from Arizona to Mexico, and nearly a dozen team members faced visa denials.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the Iran dressing room following the game and just minutes later, head coach Amir Ghalenoei and Taremi suggested the US authorities are forcing them to fly back to their Tijuana base – against their wishes.

‘Everything is like a disaster actually for us… still we have some problems because we are supposed to be training tomorrow morning – recovery – then leave for Tijuana,’ Taremi said. 

‘But we have to leave Los Angeles right now, and it’s not good for us. It’s not good for the football, because in World Cup, you have to prepare good for the next game, because it is a lot of stress for the players and the staff and everyone. But we don’t have that support and I think FIFA have to help us more than this.’ 

Iran have slammed their ‘oppressive’ and ‘disastrous’ treatment during this World Cup

‘Our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup,’ head coach Amir Ghalenoei said

Mohammad Mohebi equalized for Iran in the second half to ensure this game finished 2-2

Taremi claimed Iran’s players asked Infantino why they were being kicked out. When asked what the FIFA president told them in the dressing room, Taremi added: ‘He just wants to help us. 

‘It’s the beginning of the World Cup now, and he will help us… we believe everything he says.’ 

Teammate Mohammad Mohebi said their treatment was not ‘fair’ and Ghalenoei echoed his players’ feelings, claiming: ‘They said we had to leave immediately. 

‘It’s very important for us to have time for recovery and yet we were asked to return to Tijuana and we are really troubled by that… we do not know why they are returning us. I think it’s very strange.’ 

The head coach continued: ‘It seems like others are doing the planning for us, decisions made elsewhere, we were supposed [to arrive] two nights before the game and we were not permitted. 

‘We were supposed to stay tonight and return tomorrow lunchtime but I have no idea why and they haven’t told [us]… our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup.’

It is understood Infantino told the squad that he would do what he could to ensure more Iranian officials, who did not receive visas, could travel to the USA for their final two group games. 

The tension comes as Trump announced this weekend that a deal to end the war with Iran is ‘all signed’.

The official signing ceremony is set to be held on June 19 in Switzerland.

In a post on Truth Social, the president said, ‘The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete.’

‘I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,’ he added.

Inside the locker room, Infantino had praised the team for their participation and hailed their actions as ‘sending a strong message to the world’. 

He told them: ‘You showed to your families, friends, to your people, to the world, that you’re in the World Cup, that you perform and you have two more games to go.

‘In these two games, you will make again everyone in the world proud of what you do. Thank you for being here,’ he said, with his words met by applause.  

After months of uncertainty, Iran’s World Cup opener ended in a draw against New Zealand 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino was among the crowd at SoFi Stadium on Monday night

Iran’s Mehdi Ghayedi in action with New Zealand’s Michael Boxall

Ahead of kickoff at SoFi Stadium, all but one of Iran’s players sang their national anthem 

‘It is also a big, big emotion. I know what you go through, I understand, but you are stronger than everything. 

‘You send a strong message to the entire world. Like tonight you united the whole stadium here, you united the whole stadium behind you, behind Team Melli. You are sending such a strong message to the world.

‘Let me say one more thing: this is just the beginning of the World Cup. You are writing history, the whole world is watching you. Continue to play with your heart, for your people, your families, for your fans and for everyone in the world that is falling in love with Team Melli. You are stronger than everything.’

Iran jetted into Los Angeles the afternoon before Monday’s game and Taremi suggested the team faced delays at the US border.

‘We [should] come here two days before the game,’ Mohebi insisted. ‘Yesterday we came, we started the trip in the morning and we arrive in the afternoon. 

‘Then we go to the training and we get tired. I think we’re supposed to come here two days before the game. This kind of thing is not a little bit fair. We need to get fair competition.’

Taremi was later asked if he had a message for President Trump. ‘I’m here to play football, my friend,’ he said. ‘We are tired to talk about [the problems]. 

‘And if they help us, we are much appreciated about that… if no one helps us, it doesn’t matter. We just stay back to back, behind each other and we try our best to win both the next games.’

Iran are due to return to the USA to face Belgium in LA on Sunday before they take on Egypt in Seattle. 

Protestors took to the outside of the stadium during Iran’s first match, calling for change in Tehran and waving the pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag.

Earlier this year, the Iranian women’s football team faced controversy after their participation in the Asian Cup, where they refused to sing their country’s national anthem during a game with South Korea.

The situation escalated into a major diplomatic incident involving street protests and threats from the Islamic Regime, leading Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to grant several players asylum.

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