Additional Coverage:
As former President Donald Trump prepares to mark his birthday with a high-profile UFC event on the White House South Lawn, new details have emerged about his financial connections to the promotion’s parent company.
According to reports, shortly after announcing UFC Freedom 250-the first major live sporting event to take place on the South Lawn-Trump purchased between $15,000 and $50,000 in stock of TKO Holding Group, which owns both UFC and WWE. This investment, revealed in Trump’s financial disclosures released on May 8, was made on March 25, just over two weeks prior to the event announcement.
This stock acquisition adds to ongoing scrutiny regarding potential conflicts of interest within the president’s financial dealings. Earlier this year, Trump invested millions in Dell Technologies, a company that soon after secured a $9.7 billion Department of Defense contract, raising further questions about the intersection of his business interests and government contracts.
Other controversies have touched on ventures linked to Trump’s inner circle, including cryptocurrency projects and Trump-branded merchandise and technology products.
The White House has dismissed these concerns as politically motivated attacks. White House spokesman Davis Ingle labeled the conflict of interest allegations as a “tired narrative” pushed by Democrats, emphasizing that Trump’s assets are held in a trust managed by his children. Ingle insisted there are no conflicts, stating, “President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public.”
However, it is important to note that the trust overseeing Trump’s investments is not a blind trust, which would typically prevent the owner from having any knowledge or control over the assets.
When questioned about the TKO stock purchase during a recent press briefing, Dr. Mehmet Oz, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, suggested that Trump may not be personally making these investment decisions.
“I don’t think the president sits in the Oval Office and makes individual investment decisions,” Oz said. “Knowing him, I suspect someone else is making those decisions for him.”
As the UFC event approaches and Trump’s business interests remain under the microscope, questions about the blending of political power and private investments persist.