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Several celebrities who had been invited to Donald Trump’s planned UFC fight card at the White House are reportedly taking a pass.
Last month, UFC boss Dana White said he had invited Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Jason Statham, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Mario Lopez to attend the event, which is backed by the president and scheduled for June 14 — the president’s 80th birthday — as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
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But “of that group, few, if any, will actually be there,” Vanity Fair reported.
A source close to Johnson reportedly told the magazine he would not attend.
Representatives for Sandler and Leto also told Vanity Fair that they would not be there, while a representative for Lopez previously confirmed to HuffPost that he would miss the event because of “work commitments.”
Representatives for Ritchie, Brady and Statham did not respond to HuffPost’s question about their possible attendance.
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Vanity Fair Washington correspondent Aidan McLaughlin suggested the reluctance reflects “a growing trend in Trump’s second term,” writing that America’s 250th anniversary celebrations “are increasingly seen as tainted by the tawdriness, hyperpartisanship, and self-obsession that have been hallmarks of Trump’s political career.”
The event itself has already attracted controversy
Podcaster Joe Rogan, a longtime UFC commentator, has criticized plans to stage the fights outdoors, warning about the potential for extreme heat and dehydration among fighters.
UFC boss White, meanwhile, has acknowledged concerns that the giant lighting rig may attract swarms of bugs. Trump has also drawn criticism after suggesting the structure being built on the South Lawn could remain in place.
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