Construction continues on a temporary arena that will host the UFC Freedom 250 fight card at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Bud Light branding plastered across the White House grounds ahead of Sunday's UFC fight drew sharp mockery online, particularly from critics who remember when the beer became MAGA's most boycotted brand.
The South Lawn has been overtaken by a massive temporary arena for UFC Freedom 250, a seven-fight card staged on June 14 to mark President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Reporters touring the site on Thursday found the cage padding adorned with logos for Ram, Morgan & Morgan, Bud Light and Crypto.com.
The Associated Press reported that the temporary arena covers nearly the entirety of the South Lawn, where Marine One usually lands and children scramble during the annual Easter Egg Roll.
In 2023, conservatives furiously boycotted Bud Light after the brand sent a commemorative can to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Kid Rock filmed himself shooting cases of the beer with a submachine gun and then-presidential candidate Ron DeSantis denounced the partnership as part of a trend of "woke companies" trying to change the country.
The backlash was severe enough that CBS News reported Bud Light lost its place as America's best-selling beer after more than two decades, slipping behind Modelo Especial in June 2023. Anheuser-Busch InBev later estimated the boycott cost it roughly $1.4 billion in North American revenue.
The sponsorship lineup landed with immediate mockery, as the same political movement that turned Bud Light cans into target practice watches the brand's logo decorate the White House lawn.
Ron Filipkowski, the attorney and MAGA chronicler who edits MeidasTouch, was among the first to flag the spectacle.
"The White House brought to you by Bud Light," he wrote on X alongside photos taken by Getty.
"I thought they were boycotting Bud Light remember?" replied attorney Tracey Gallagher.
Jim Stewartson, author of the Substack, MindWar: The Psychological War on Democracy, added mockingly, "BREAKING: The White House is woke. I fully expect MAGA protests and performative smashing of Bud Light cans during the event."
NFL reporter Mike Freeman simply remarked, "Unbelievable."