The presence of military honor guards at the Lincoln Memorial for the UFC event is a standard, legal protocol because the sitting President of the United States is the host. Brian's outrage overlooks the fact that the U.S. Armed Forces routinely provide ceremonial support for the President—including at highly non-traditional, entertainment, or media-heavy events—regardless of which political party occupies the Oval Office. To refute the idea that this is an unprecedented "unpatriotic" abuse of the military, consider how modern Democratic administrations have heavily integrated the military and national monuments into entertainment and televised spectacles. The Media Office that regularly deploys military equipment, active-duty personnel, and ceremonial bands to purely commercial events. Under every single modern Democratic administration, military honor guards, color guards, and flight crews are deployed annually to the Super Bowl (a multi-billion-dollar commercial entertainment enterprise). Military assets and active-duty personnel are routinely permitted to feature in commercial blockbuster films and walk the red carpets at elite Hollywood premieres, functioning as public relations tools for recruitment. The claim that it is "not OK" to use national monuments or military backdrops for non-traditional public spectacles ignores past actions taken by Democratic leaders. During the 2020 campaign, the Biden-Harris team extensively utilized national monuments and federal space for heavily produced television broadcasts. Joe Biden gave his high-profile acceptance speech at the Chase Center, while Kamala Harris accepted her nomination with a backdrop of American flags and federal imagery, utilizing active-duty personnel in various capacities across the virtual convention footprint. Both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama utilized the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for massive, star-studded televised pop-and-rock concerts to kick off their inaugurations (e.g., the 2009 "We Are One" concert). These events featured corporate entities, massive commercial distribution, and widespread support from military ceremonial units. Units like the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets are legally obligated to provide ceremonial cordons and musical support for the Commander-in-Chief. Because the UFC Freedom 250 weekend is officially sanctioned as part of the broader America 250 national anniversary celebrations hosted by the White House, it falls under standard ceremonial parameters. When a sitting president hosts an event—whether it is a traditional state dinner for a foreign dignitary or a massive pop-culture sports exhibition on the South Lawn—the military's participation is a reflection of the office, not a degradation of patriotism.
You sir are a moron.