Reporter hits back as Trump official defends begging troops to watch White House UFC fight

Washington Post Pentagon reporter Dan Lamothe delivered a point-by-point rebuttal Friday after a Trump administration official attacked his reporting on UFC tickets being offered to U.S. troops, noting the official's team had refused to comment before turning around to publicly criticize the story.

Sean Parnell, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, called the Post's story "disingenuous," arguing that the White House and UFC were "generously offering tickets" to service members and their families for what he called "a once in a lifetime experience."

Lamothe was unmoved. "Sean's team declined/failed to comment for this story for a full day, both before and after publication," he wrote on X. "Then they posted this publicly today."

He then laid out exactly what the story reported: that UFC has long been popular with U.S. troops, that there is an organized effort to find troops interested in attending, that troops must pay for their own travel according to several messages obtained by the Post, and that there are height and weight restrictions on which troops can attend.

"All of that is true and accurate," Lamothe wrote, before closing with four words that said everything: "Have a good one."

Parnell did not immediately respond to Lamothe's rebuttal. The exchange highlights a recurring pattern in the Trump administration of attacking press coverage after declining to participate in it.

Sean's team declined/failed to comment for this story for a full day, both before and after publication. Then they posted this publicly today.

Our story reports that:

1) UFC has long been popular with U.S. troops

2) There's an organized effort to find troops interested in… https://t.co/kTbJQUjl6J
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) May 30, 2026