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Trump Purchased Stock in UFC Parent Company Days Before White House Fight

Pod Save America · 80-Year-Old Man Loses War · June 16, 2026
Trump Purchased Stock in UFC Parent Company Days Before White House Fight
Pod Save America
Pod Save America
80-Year-Old Man Loses War
"Ahead of the fight, the president quietly purchased between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Holding Group, which owns UFC."
Donald Trump bought between $15,000 and $50,000 in stock in the company that owns UFC just before hosting a $60 million UFC event at the White House for his 80th birthday. The event was sponsored by Trump family crypto operations and featured Trump family promotional campaigns, raising new corruption concerns about self-dealing while in office.

About this episode

Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor dissected the Iran war ceasefire memorandum signed between the US and Iran, with Senator Mark Warner providing insider intelligence perspective. Warner confirmed that Trump failed all four stated war objectives—regime change, destroying Iran's military, ending proxy support, and eliminating the nuclear program—while the Iranian regime emerged more hardline and the IRGC more entrenched. The hosts detailed how the agreement merely reopens the Strait of Hormuz and kicks major issues to future negotiations, with Warner revealing the Pentagon misrepresented the extent of damage to Iran's missile arsenal. The conversation covered the political fallout, including Netanyahu's domestic troubles and strained relationship with Trump over Lebanon strikes. The episode then pivoted to Trump's 80th birthday UFC spectacle at the White House, which featured blatant corporate sponsorships including Trump family crypto operations that have netted $2.3 billion in profits while retail investors lost equivalent amounts. Gavin Newsom's bombshell announcement that Trump's DOJ is targeting his wife in what he calls retaliation for his potential 2028 presidential run dominated the latter half. Warner explained why he's fast-tracking Trump's new DNI nominee Jay Clayton to prevent the previously nominated Bill Pulte—a third-generation rich kid with no security clearance—from accessing classified intelligence even temporarily. The discussion touched on FISA Section 702 reauthorization concerns and whether telecom companies will continue cooperating without formal legal protections.

Key takeaways

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