President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a temporary UFC arena built on the White House south lawn might remain permanently [1].
The proposal to keep the structure marks a significant departure from the original plan for the venue, which was intended as a temporary installation. The move reflects the president's desire to integrate professional mixed martial arts into the landscape of the executive residence.
In a TikTok video, Trump likened the arena to the Eiffel Tower, noting that the French landmark was also originally intended to be a temporary structure before becoming a permanent fixture [1]. He said that the venue, known as "The Claw," could be a permanent part of the White House landscape [3].
"Maybe we'll never, ever take it down," Trump said [1]. He said that the structure "could stay up forever" [2].
The arena was constructed to celebrate the president's 80th birthday. The project carried a total cost of $60 million [4]. To accommodate the massive structure, $700,000 was spent specifically to repair the White House lawn [4].
The venue is designed with a seating capacity of 4,500 seats [4]. While the structure was initially presented as a short-term addition for the birthday festivities, the president's recent comments suggest a shift in intent toward a lasting installation.
Trump said he liked the arena and wanted it to serve as a lasting feature of the grounds [1]. This analogy to the Eiffel Tower serves as the primary justification for the potential transition from a temporary event space to a permanent architectural addition to the south lawn [1].
“"Maybe we'll never, ever take it down."”
The suggestion to permanently install a sports arena on the White House grounds represents a blend of personal branding and a shift in the traditional use of the executive mansion's historic landscape. By citing the Eiffel Tower, the president is framing the arena not as a temporary luxury, but as a potential landmark that evolves from a functional event space into a symbolic architectural feature.
