The spectacle on the South Lawn is here: President Donald Trump’s UFC event is being held at the White House.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The action kicks off at 8 p.m.
ET with seven fights, including a main event lightweight title bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje.Fans gathered Saturday afternoon on The Ellipse for Freedom 250’s “Fan Fest” event, a sprawling fair of booths and vendors set up in the park south of the White House.Natalie Keyssar for NBC NewsWatching just feet away will be the president, members of his administration, VIPs and thousands of active military members.NBC News is live in Washington, D.C., to cover all the action from one of the most unique sporting events ever.Ahead of the UFC fight card on the White House lawn, thousands descended on Washington to celebrate the sport and the country’s birthday.Poll: America at 250 is riven with doubt and pessimism — but with glimmers of hopeAdd NBC News to GoogleSteve Kornacki: America 250 poll shows nation marked by doubt and pessimism05:30Americans have a bleak outlook on the nation’s future ahead of its 250th birthday next month, with most saying the U.S.
has already seen its best days and a record-low number saying they are extremely proud to be Americans, according to a new NBC News poll.Overall, the survey — sponsored by More Perfect, a nonpartisan nonprofit — shows that Americans believe their country has achieved many of the goals of its founders, but it is now falling short in living up to certain central tenets of the democratic experiment.Among adults, 78% say the American dream is further out of reach than it was a generation ago.They also have little faith in their institutions — including the federal government, the news media and the high-tech industry.
Even the military, which ranks the highest, has seen a pronounced drop in support.For the first time in the...