**No, the core claim isn't true.** The post complains that a "trash" event (the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House South Lawn) was paid for with tax dollars and is paywalled.
### Key facts:
- **UFC is paying for the event**: Multiple reports (including White House statements and court filings) confirm UFC/TKO is funding the ~$60 million production costs — building the octagon/arena, setup, teardown, lawn restoration (~$700k ), etc. No taxpayer dollars are being used for the direct event expenses.
- **Government involvement is limited**: Federal agencies (e.g., Secret Service, Homeland Security, FAA, National Park Service) are providing security, coordination, and manpower as part of their normal duties for a high-profile White House event (classified SEAR 1, like major sports events). This isn't "paying for the UFC event" — it's standard protocol for protecting the president, managing crowds, and airspace on federal property. Similar costs apply to any big White House gathering.
### About the "paywall":
- The main card streams on Paramount (subscription required, ~$9–14/month depending on plan). It's not a traditional PPV buy, but yes, you need a sub to watch live.
- Fan events on the Ellipse had free ticket requests (lottery-style).
The event is part of 250th anniversary celebrations and Trump's birthday. Critics call it flashy/idiotic; supporters see it as fun/patriotic. Either way, the "tax dollars paid for this" framing is misleading — the big-ticket production is privately funded by UFC. Normal government overhead (security/staff time) exists but isn't unique to this.