Trump threw a gladiator fight at the White House & TX GOP goes full on crazy episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 16, 2026 · 55 MIN

Trump threw a gladiator fight at the White House & TX GOP goes full on crazy

from Left Reckoning · host Left Reckoning

Trump turned the White House South Lawn into a UFC cage for his 80th birthday — a gladiator spectacle dubbed Freedom 250, with $1.5 million ringside seats and a crowd he handpicked himself. David sits down with Ben Case — writer, organizer, and former pro Muay Thai fighter — to get at what the fights are really about: private equity, tech billionaires, and the Saudi government quietly consolidating control over all of combat sports, with Trump as the would-be emperor cashing in (he even bought TKO stock first).Plus, up top: the Texas GOP convention, where delegates told lifelong Muslim Republicans to convert to Christianity or leave the country, an elephant marched for "Don't Sharia Our Texas," and the lunatic fringe finished becoming the party.And lastly, David sits down with working-class candidate Eon Huntley, who is running a democratic socialist campaign in NYC!Ben Case: https://jacobin.com/2026/06/ufc-freedom-trump-white-saudisEon Huntley Campaign: https://eonforassembly.com/Support Left Reckoning and get the Sunday shows: patreon.com/leftreckoningNew here? Subscribe and hit the bell — it genuinely helps us keep doing this.Twitter: @LeftReckoning / @davidgriscom / @MattLech

Trump turned the White House South Lawn into a UFC cage for his 80th birthday — a gladiator spectacle dubbed Freedom 250, with $1.5 million ringside seats and a crowd he handpicked himself. David sits down with Ben Case — writer, organizer, and former pro Muay Thai fighter — to get at what the fights are really about: private equity, tech billionaires, and the Saudi government quietly consolidating control over all of combat sports, with Trump as the would-be emperor cashing in (he even bought TKO stock first).Plus, up top: the Texas GOP convention, where delegates told lifelong Muslim Republicans to convert to Christianity or leave the country, an elephant marched for "Don't Sharia Our Texas," and the lunatic fringe finished becoming the party.And lastly, David sits down with working-class candidate Eon Huntley, who is running a democratic socialist campaign in NYC!Ben Case: https://jacobin.com/2026/06/ufc-freedom-trump-white-saudisEon Huntley Campaign: https://eonforassembly.com/Support Left Reckoning and get the Sunday shows: patreon.com/leftreckoningNew here? Subscribe and hit the bell — it genuinely helps us keep doing this.Twitter: @LeftReckoning / @davidgriscom / @MattLech

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Trump threw a gladiator fight at the White House & TX GOP goes full on crazy

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This episode was published on June 16, 2026.

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Trump turned the White House South Lawn into a UFC cage for his 80th birthday — a gladiator spectacle dubbed Freedom 250, with $1.5 million ringside seats and a crowd he handpicked himself. David sits down with Ben Case — writer, organizer, and...

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