AVERTING GAZE OR TURNING A BLIND EYE?

 Weekly Opinion Editorial

AVERT GAZE

by Steve Fair

President Donald Trump turned 80 on Sunday.  He celebrated his milestone birthday by holding "UFC Freedom 250," a mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn of the White House.  4,000 spectators attended the invitation only event.  On Friday, a federal judge rejected an attempt to block the event by Public Integrity Project (PIP).  PIP filed a lawsuit arguing the event was 'deeply corrupt,' and gave the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 'unfettered access' to Washington, DC's taxpayer funded landmarks.  PIP claimed UFC Freedom 250 turned America's landmarks into billboards.

Trump's Justice Department told critics to simply, 'avert their gaze,' for the weekend and not try to impose their thoughts on the general public.  The DOJ pointed out the Obama and Biden administrations hosted high profile concerts by Beyonce and Elton John on the South Lawn, and there was little concern about those events.  Three observations:

First, taxpayers are not out a dime for the production costs.  The estimated staging cost of $60 million is being shouldered by UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings.  They are expected to lose money on the event, but are deficit spending to market their brand.  Government will provide security for the event, so taxpayers will pay for that.

Second, UFC Freedom 250 is a risky move by Trump.  The event could backfire politically.  Many Americans are struggling with rising costs and strained household budgets. By celebrating his birthday in such a grandiose way, Trump runs the risk mid-term voters might be offended at the elaborate staging.  With Republicans holding a slim margin in the U.S. House and the looming midterms, Trump needs to fire up the base.  That appears to be the strategy for staging the UFC event.h

Third, averting your eyes isn't the same thing as turning a blind eye.  Avert your eyes means to look away or avoid looking at something. It is used to prevent someone from seeing something unpleasant, private, graphic, or overly bright. 

Turning a blind eye is when you deliberately ignore or pretend not to notice something you know is wrong, harmful or out of line.  People often 'turn a blind eye' to avoid confrontation, dodge responsibility, or skip dealing with an uncomfortable situation. 

In midterm elections, keeping voters enthused is key.  Whoever turns out their voter base usually wins.  Swing voters don't usually participate in the midterms.  Heading into the 2026 midterms, Democrats hold an 8-point enthusiasm gap according to lpsos.  It's not uncommon for the Party in power to not have as much excitement than the Party out of power, especially for the midterms.  What is concerning is a recent Washington Post- ABC News poll showed 73% of Democrats thought the 2026 midterms were more important than past midterms.  Only 52% of Republicans thought that.  It appears many GOP voters are turning a blind eye and ignoring the very real possibility Democrats could gain control of the House.  John Pilpot Curran said, "The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance." Republicans better remember that come November.