The White House is ceding control of who gets into the fight event on the South Lawn, in a break with tradition.
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The White House press corps won’t be allowed on White House grounds Sunday because of a UFC fight being hosted on the South Lawn, according to an email sent by the White House Correspondents’ Association and obtained by The Washington Post.
Weijia Jiang, the association’s president, told members in an email that only the White House press poolers — the designated journalists who follow the president on behalf of various news outlets when he is in locations that cannot accommodate a larger group — will be allowed on White House grounds unless UFC gives them press credentials.
“The WHCA has been pushing back on this, but we have been told there will be various Secret Service access points across campus and that the [White House North Lawn] is being used as a staging area for the fighters and UFC filming zone, and the [White House] is standing firm,” Jiang wrote.
While the White House normally handles credentialing for large-scale events, it’s ceding control of Sunday’s bash to UFC.
On Sunday, reporters won’t be allowed access to the White House briefing room, their press workplaces or “Pebble Beach,” an area on the North Lawn used for television appearances.
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Jiang said in the email that UFC is permitting only a “very limited number” of journalists on the South Lawn during the fight, while other credentialed journalists will have to watch from either the nearby Ellipse or the JW Marriott hotel.
“If you have not received a UFC press credential, you will need to utilize other public spaces in the area for any live shots,” Jiang said.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. After publication, White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said in a post on X that the press office had expanded the pool covering the event to accommodate more reporters.
“The pool will be providing full coverage on the South Lawn for the duration of UFC Freedom250,” Wales wrote.
UFC did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The WHCA declined to comment.
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