The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event slated to be held at the White House on Sunday is underwater with a majority of Americans, many of whom have bombarded its promotional posts with references to Jeffrey Epstein, Axios reported Friday.
According to a survey of more than 9,200 adults conducted by YouGov, 51% of Americans either “somewhat” or “strongly” disapprove of the event, officially labeled UFC Freedom 250 and scheduled for Trump's 80th birthday.
Only 27% approve, and 22% indicated that they were “not sure.”
Fans have peppered UFC posts promoting the event with brutal reminders of some of the Trump administration’s biggest controversies.
“Even within the UFC's Trump-friendly fan base, the alliance is showing cracks: Fans have flooded promotional posts with complaints about Israel, the Epstein files and other perceived populist betrayals by Trump,” read Axios’ report.
The Justice Department's botched handling of its release of Epstein-related files has continued to plague the Trump administration, with the president's favorability reaching historic lows.
The event has already sparked waves of controversy, including fresh legal challenges, in which the complainants allege the event is a “volcano of corruption” that Trump and his allies stand to profit from.
Norm Eisen, a former White House ethics lawyer, described the event recently as “ludicrous” and emblematic of “the way [Trump] has defaced Washington, D.C.”