Trump celebrates birthday -- and country's 250th -- with UFC event at the White House

NPR | By Mara Liasson,

A Martínez

Published June 15, 2026 at 3:43 AM CDT

President Trump celebrated his 80th birthday Sunday night with a UFC cage-fighting event on the south lawn of the White House.

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Mara Liasson

Mara Liasson is a national political correspondent for NPR. Her reports can be heard regularly on NPR's award-winning newsmagazine programs Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Liasson provides extensive coverage of politics and policy from Washington, DC — focusing on the White House and Congress — and also reports on political trends beyond the Beltway.

See stories by Mara Liasson

A Martínez

A Martínez is one of the hosts of Morning Edition and Up First. He came to NPR in 2021 and is based out of NPR West.

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