By Jason Lange
WASHINGTON, June 11 (Reuters) – Few Americans, including only a third of Republicans, approve of President Donald Trump’s plan to hold mixed martial arts cage matches at the White House on Sunday to celebrate U.S. history, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Just 16% of Americans said it was appropriate for Trump to hold the Ultimate Fighting Championship event, scheduled for his 80th birthday, while 46% said it was inappropriate and the rest didn’t offer an opinion.
Only 31% of Republicans considered it appropriate, a small share considering that eight in 10 Republicans approve of Trump’s overall performance in the White House, according to the six-day poll, which concluded on Monday.
Trump has planned a slew of public celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence from Britain on July 4, 1776. The events have stirred controversy, with several musical performers pulling out of the opening ceremony over concerns about its association with Trump.
Trump’s administration asked a judge on Tuesday to reject an effort to halt the UFC event after local residents argued that sporting events are barred on the White House’s South Lawn and the large metal arena being constructed for the fight lacks required approval.
Fighters, who use gloves with little padding, will attack one another with their fists, feet, knees and elbows inside a 92-foot-tall (28-meter-tall) octagon-shaped structure.
Some 18% of people surveyed considered themselves fans of mixed martial arts fighting, compared to 31% who said they were basketball fans and 16% who followed U.S. soccer.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online and nationwide, surveyed 4,531 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
Trump’s ties with UFC date back to the early 2000s, when he agreed to host events at his since-bankrupt Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. UFC Chief Executive Dana White is a close Trump ally.
(Reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Bill Berkrot)
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