'A mini Jan. 6': Comedian Jimmy Kimmel rips into White House UFC event

Comedian and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel ripped into President Donald Trump's Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event held on his birthday during Monday's monologue for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" blasting the event as a "mini January 6th." 

According to Kimmel, the UFC event utilized "every room of the White House," and he claimed that the fighters were warming up everywhere from the diplomatic reception room to the cabinet room to the Oval Office. He then cut to the footage of a fighter yelling out from the Truman balcony, and at the end of the clip, he said laughing, "What a night. Like a mini January 6th," after calling the event "Donald Trump’s big violent birthday party."

On the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, a violent and heavily armed mob stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was meeting to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. The supporters of Trump seemingly believed that the election was rigged and the results should be overturned. While the staff was moved to secure locations or barricaded behind doors, the rioters pushed past severely outnumbered Capitol Police officers, breaking windows and vandalizing offices, in the violent event that left five people killed, including one Capitol Police officer who was beaten by the mob. 

In his monologue, Kimmel didn't press on the issue further and moved on to make another comparison, this time of the president and an overstimulated child at Disneyland, as he mocked Trump for falling asleep at his own event. "He almost stayed awake through the whole thing until it was time to take a little UFC-esta," Kimmel quipped. "So sweet. He's like an angel when he sleeps," he added. "Now, to be fair, we don't know for sure that he was asleep. He could have just been sitting completely motionless with his eyes closed for an extended period of time. But this is why most 80th birthday parties happen at noon."

Kimmel made another comparison, claiming Trump "turned the White House into a Waffle House," as over "4,000 people trampled the White House grass to celebrate the Orange One turning 80." 

Kimmel wasn't alone in criticizing the event that took place on government property. Grammy-winning singer Sheryl Crow also slammed the event, labeling it "disgraceful and void of decency". She slammed the "powerful, rich people" who filled the lawn to watch a "violent sport" in an event that ended with a racist comment from one of the fighters. "All while the average American cannot afford healthcare, gas, and the cost of living," she added.

The longtime critic of Trump and a champion of progressive causes concluded by noting, "If we continue to support this kind of distraction from reality, we are no better than them. Let's be better, America."