President Donald Trump turned 80 on Sunday at a White House transformed not just by the demolition of the East Wing to make way for his ballroom, but also by the construction of a UFC octagon and seating just for the occasion.
The venue was intended to be temporary, but earlier this month, Trump compared it to the Eiffel Tower, calling the White House Octagon “quite attractive” and saying, “Maybe we’ll never, ever take it down.”
The event, which was delayed due to weather, began with a military flyover as Trump and his friend, UFC CEO Dana White, looked on:
Then, the pair walked from the Oval Office to the venue in a moment broadcast during the live event and streaming online.
The cheers for the president by his hand-picked audience were a marked difference from the boos he received when he attended the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden last week.
Lightweight Mauricio Ruffy celebrated his victory over Michael Chandler by proposing to his girlfriend, Nadine:
Here are more moments from the unusual evening at the White House: