President Donald Trump took a victory lap after Congress passed his ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Thursday night in Iowa, where he pledged to give the United States a big, beautiful birthday.
A year from Friday, the United States will turn 250 years old, and Trump’s stop at the Iowa State Fairgrounds kicked off the ‘America 250’ celebration, with events planned all year leading up to July 4, 2026.
Trump revealed during his speech what will likely be one of the wildest events to take place during the year’s worth of birthday festivities – and it will happen in the president’s backyard.
‘And I even think we’re going to have a UFC fight… Does anybody watch UFC and the great Dana White?’ Trump asked his crowd of MAGA faithful.
They erupted in cheers at the mention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
‘We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight,’ Trump continued. ‘Think of this – on the grounds of the White House.’
‘We have a lot of land there,’ he continued. ‘We’re going to build a little – we’re not, Dana’s going to do it, Dana’s great, one of a kind – we’re going to have a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20-25,000 people.’
Trump said this would be a part of the ‘America 250’ celebration.
President Donald Trump takes the stage at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Thursday night in Des Moines to kick off a year’s worth of ‘America 250’ events – including, Trump said, a UFC fight on the White House’s grounds
President Donald Trump arrives at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Thursday night to kick off a year’s worth of ‘America 250’ programming. During his remarks he teased that he would put on a UFC fight on the White House grounds as part of the country’s birthday celebration
During his remarks he recalled how he had promised Iowans – ahead of the all-important Iowa caucuses – that he would kick off America’s birthday in the Hawkeye State if he was elected again.
‘Two years ago I came to Iowa and promised that the festivities would begin right here at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and tonight here I am, OK?’ Trump said. ‘Promises kept.’
The crowd cheered.
‘There could be no better birthday present for America than the phenomenal victory we achieved just hours ago when Congress passed the one Big, Beautiful Bill to make America Great Again,’ Trump said.
Earlier Thursday, the president achieved his biggest domestic win of his second term thus far, with the narrow GOP-controlled House of Representatives passing the massive legislative package that includes the top Trump agenda items.
Trump had pushed lawmakers to deliver the bill to him by July Fourth.
The president will sign the bill around 5 p.m. ET on Friday, amid the White House’s Fourth of July festivities, including flyovers with B-2 bombers, which were used in the recent aerial strike of Iran.
‘This whole two weeks has been incredible,’ Trump gushed to the crowd.
President Donald Trump addresses a crowd at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa Thursday night to kick off a year’s worth of ‘America 250’ events leading up to next year’s Fourth of July
President Donald Trump takes off his signature red hat after speaking to a crowd Thursday night at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. He recalled how he had promised Iowa voters he would kick off the nation’s birthday events in the Hawkeye State
President Donald Trump was joined by (from left) Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
President Donald Trump has attended a number of Ultimate Fighting Championship events due to his close friendship with CEO Dana White. He attended a fight in Newark last month and was captured shaking hands with mixed martial artist Sean O’Malley
Beyond his Big, Beautiful Bill getting passed through Congress, it appeared that the war between Israel and Iran was concluded for now.
‘We stopped five nations from going to war and somebody else will get the Nobel Peace Prize.’ Trump complained to the crowd.
‘So they’re writing about Donald Trump – a professor at some school that you’ve never heard of has received the Nobel Prize for his writing about Donald Trump and what Donald Trump did,’ the president said garnering laughs.
Despite the pre-Fourth of July theme for Thursday’s event, Trump went after those he viewed were holding his agenda back.
‘With all of the things we did, the tax cuts and rebuilding our military, not one Democrat voted for us, and I think we use it in the campaign that’s coming up, the midterms,’ Trump said. ‘Because we’ve got to beat them.’
‘All of the things that we’ve given and they wouldn’t vote only because they hate Trump,’ the president continued. ‘But I hate them too, you know that?’
‘I really do, I hate them, I cannot stand them, because I really believe they hate our country, you want to know the truth,’ Trump added.
Later in the speech he referred to the Democrats as ‘bad people.’
‘But we kicked their a** and we’re going to continue to do well,’ Trump said.
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! President Donald Trump was promoting a different kind of fight during his Thursday night appearance in Des Moines, but he’ll mark the one-year anniversary of the Butler assassination attempt 10 days from now
Ten days from now, Trump will also mark the anniversary of the Butler, Pennsylvania rally where he nearly was assassinated last year on the campaign trail.
He calmed the crowd and then cracked a joke when a loud popping noise could be heard during his speech Thursday night.
‘It’s only fireworks, I hope. Famous last words, my famous last words. Trump said: “Don’t worry, it’s only fireworks,”‘ the president laughed. ‘You always have to think positive. I didn’t like that sound either.’
Someone in the crowd could be heard yelling back at the president what he had popped up and said once the bullet whizzed by his ear.
‘Fight, fight, fight!’ the attendee said.
