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Topics: Donald Trump, US News, News, Politics
Madison Burgess
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, News, Politics
From a UFC fight on the White House lawn to a brand new monument, it's safe to say that Donald Trump has some big plans to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
The US President, 79, has outlined a number of ways the country will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on 4 July.
Trump's wide array of events and plans to commemorate the milestone are happening under the banner of his 'Freedom 250' organization, which is separate from 'America 250,' - a bipartisan initiative 'working to engage every American in the 250th anniversary of the United States'.
This year's celebrations are set to be a tad different from when the US marked its bicentennial on 4 July 1976, with the opening of the National Air and Space Museum’s exhibition hall in Washington DC’s National Mall.
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As we say, arguably the most shocking of Trump's plans is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brawl set to unfold on the lawn of the Presidential building.
The world leader announced the news at a rally in Iowa ahead of last year's Independence Day celebrations.
Trump, who is a huge fan of the MMA promotion company and regularly spotted at events alongside close friend and UFC boss Dana White, said at the time: "We’re going to have a UFC fight – think of this – on the grounds of the White House.
"We have a lot of land there. We are going to build a little – we are not, Dana is going to do it … We are going to have a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20-25,000 people, and we are going to do that as part of 250 also."
According to a recent report from ESPN, the fight is due to take place on the South Lawn of the White House on 14 June.
The US President also plans to build a new monument called the 'Independence Arch,' which has been nicknamed the 'Arc De Trump' thanks to its similarities to the iconic Paris monument, the Arc de Triomphe.
Trump first unveiled the plan last October and said the arch would be built just across from the Lincoln Memorial on the Potomac River.
As reported by The Independent, when speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One earlier this month, he said he wanted the monument to be 'the biggest one of all' at 250 feet, as America is 'the biggest, most powerful nation'.
Last month, Trump shared a mock-up of the design on Truth Social, showing that the landmark would have a large golden statue on top. However, it looks like there's no date set in stone for construction work to start as of yet.
And that's not all - the American President, in true Trump fashion, also wants to mint $1 coins with his face on them, which would go against an 1866 law that prohibits a living person from appearing on US currency.
The coin would depict a drawing of Trump with his fist raised, standing in front of an American flag, next to the words: "Fight, fight, fight."
The US Treasurer, Brandon Beach, announced a draft design in October, saying, “No fake news here. These drafts honoring America’s 250th birthday and [Trump] are real.”
Finally, there have even been murmurs of transforming the National Mall into a race track in August, passing the Supreme Court and the Lincoln Memorial, as well as launching the 'Patriot Games'.
According to Metro, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport said in a statement: "The Grand Prix is an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate our nation’s proud racing pedigree, showcase the beauty of the National Mall, and generate millions in critical tourism revenue for the Capital."
And as for the 'Patriot Games,' Trump announced in December that, as part of America's 250th anniversary plans, the White House would host a competition, which would see young athletes from across the country compete.
He said in December: "In the fall, we will host the first-ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes - one young man and one young woman from each state and territory."