On Trump’s 80th birthday, UFC martial cage fights took place in an arena specially built in front of the White House.Image: keystone
June 23, 2026, 06:48June 23, 2026, 06:48
The US Federal Police FBI has arrested two more men for a suspected planned attack on the martial arts event on President Donald Trump’s birthday. Both are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, the US Department of Justice said. One of the men was arrested on Friday and the other on Sunday. Both appeared in court for the first time on Monday.
The Justice Department had already announced last week that it had targeted five other suspects in connection with the allegedly planned attack on the event in front of the White House on June 14th. They are also accused of, among other things, conspiracy to commit murder. The accusation: The men are also said to be targeting the lives of government members.
According to the Justice Department, the suspects wanted to use drones loaded with explosives around the martial arts event in order to force an evacuation of the event. Snipers should then target “high-ranking targets” in the fleeing crowd. The FBI and law enforcement authorities had already become aware of a “potential threat” to the event on June 10, FBI chief Kash Patel wrote on the X platform last week. Ultimately, the planned attack was prevented by arrests.
What event it is about
On Trump’s 80th birthday, martial cage fights by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) professional league took place in an arena specially built in front of the White House. Trump is considered a fan of mixed martial arts – an often bloody combat sport that combines techniques from boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, karate and jiu-jitsu, among others. In addition to the president and his family, several cabinet members were also among the guests.
The official reason for the event was not Trump’s birthday, but rather the celebrations surrounding the 250th Independence Day of the USA. However, this is dated July 4th. (sda/dpa)