Military Bands Played at Trump UFC White House Birthday Gala, Raising Concerns Over Norm Erosion
Memeorandum—Marine and Army bands performed at a UFC fight night held at the White House for Trump's birthday, an event that former general Mark Hertling argued blended military symbolism with political entertainment in an unprecedented way. Hertling warned the spectacle normalizes the use of armed-service pageantry for partisan political purposes. The event also featured 'The Claw' lighting rig, which reportedly alarmed Reagan Airport pilots with glare ten times worse than a laser incident.