There’s a certain breed of political commentator who only discovers reverence for American institutions when the other side holds power. Sacred norms, hallowed traditions, the dignity of the office — these phrases collect dust for years, then get dusted off and deployed the moment a Republican does something the credentialed class finds distasteful. You could set your watch by it.

So when someone stepped forward last week to declare the White House South Lawn too dignified for a particular American celebration, the script was familiar. But the casting? Even by Beltway standards, this one deserves a slow clap.

From The Post Millennial:

In a post to social media on Thursday, Hunter Biden claimed that he was “offended” by the UFC Freedom 250 event that took place on the White House’s South Lawn on Sunday night, showcasing a number of high-profile fights. Biden said that the “some of our public spaces are sacred,” and that the event could have been held anywhere other than the lawn.

In a post addressed to Joe Rogan, who had hit back at critics of the event on his podcast, Biden wrote, “I wish I could sit down with you face to face and explain why so many of us were offended by the UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House. For me, it had nothing to do with the UFC or who showed up for the fights. The brand you and Dana have built is a bona fide American success story. More power to you.”

Yes. That Hunter Biden. The one convicted on federal gun charges in 2024. The one whose abandoned laptop revealed a personal life that would make a Roman senator wince. The one who faced tax evasion charges, only to receive a sweeping pardon from his own father on the way out the Oval Office door. And now — hand on heart — he’s anointed himself the conscience of White House decorum.

Of the roughly 330 million Americans who might weigh in on what belongs on the South Lawn, the man with perhaps the thinnest moral standing on the subject decided he should deliver the homily. Incredible.

Caesar, gladiators, and other fever dreams

Hunter didn’t merely object. He went full toga drama. In a lengthy post addressed to Joe Rogan, he compared Trump to Caesar, branded the fights “an exhibition of imperial domination,” and name-dropped Buckingham Palace, Versailles, and the Forbidden City. He wrote that by hosting the event, Trump was declaring: “This is my house. I own it. I will do with it what I please. I’ll build a colosseum and have the gladiators fight under my gaze.”

Heavy stuff. Except Hunter himself called the UFC “a bona fide American success story,” praised the fighters’ discipline as inspiring, and even tipped his cap to comedian Shane Gillis. So the sport is admirable, the athletes are heroic, the crowd was fine — but the grass was the problem?

Then came the postscript: “Cage match between me and Don Jr.? Your call on the venue. Anywhere but the South Lawn.” Nothing quite screams solemn guardian of democratic norms like challenging the president’s son to a fistfight in a public letter.

A short memory on White House “sanctity”

If Hunter genuinely believes the White House grounds are hallowed, one might ask where this conviction was hiding during his father’s administration. In 2023, the Biden White House hosted a Pride celebration during which a transgender TikTok influencer went topless on the South Lawn — in front of families and children. No broadsides about Caesar. No invocations of the Founding Fathers. No open letters to podcasters.

The standard, apparently, bends with the political winds. A UFC event honoring America’s 250th birthday is imperial domination. A topless social media spectacle at a family gathering is cause for celebration.

The People’s House — used for the people

Hunter deployed the phrase “the People’s House” as though he invented it. Fair enough — it is the People’s House. And the people who tuned in Sunday night to watch world-class athletes compete against the backdrop of the White House seemed to enjoy it just fine. UFC Freedom 250 showcased American entrepreneurship, athletic excellence, and national pride. That tracks with two centuries of South Lawn traditions, from Easter Egg rolls to state ceremonies.

The real elitism isn’t hosting a fight card on the lawn. It’s telling millions of Americans that the culture they love isn’t refined enough for the building their tax dollars maintain.

Hunter Biden may believe the White House needs his protection. The rest of us are comfortable knowing it belongs to the people — including the ones who cheered every knockout on Sunday night. They don’t need a lecture on sanctity from a man whose father had to pardon him on the way out.

Key Takeaways

• Hunter Biden — pardoned by his own father — now lectures Americans about White House “sanctity.”
• The Biden White House hosted a topless Pride spectacle, but a UFC celebration is somehow beneath the South Lawn.
• UFC Freedom 250 honored American grit, entrepreneurship, and the nation’s 250th birthday.
• The real elitism is telling Americans which parts of their culture deserve the People’s House.

Sources: The Post Millennial, MMA Junkie