Kory Grow
Contact Kory Grow on X View all posts by Kory Grow June 16, 2026
Sheryl Crow. Danielle Del Valle/Variety/Getty Images Sheryl Crow excoriated Donald Trump‘s White House birthday bash, which included a UFC fight, in a post to her Instagram story on Monday. “What happened last night on the lawn of the White House was disgraceful and void of decency,” she wrote. “Powerful, rich people filled the lawn to watch a violent sport that ended with a vile and racist comment. All while the average American cannot afford healthcare, gas, and cost of living.”
The artist wrote that keeping silent on this kind of behavior is akin to turning a blind eye to immoral behavior. “Do not be fooled,” she wrote. “This administration is corrupt and does not give a damn about the American people. It only cares about making money hand over fist at the expense and in spite of our democracy.”
“If we continue to support this kind of distraction from reality, we are no better than them,” she continued. “Let’s be better, America.”
The mixed martial arts fight took place on Sunday, Trump’s 80th birthday, and was billed as UFC Freedom 250, ostensibly part of the president’s celebrations of the United States’ 250th birthday. The main event was a match between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria, though several matches of varying weight classes led up to that one. The tone of the event, though, felt bigoted. Josh Hokit, a heavyweight, used his post-interview time to say, “Michelle Obama is a man.” Host Joe Rogan simply smiled when he said it, as video shows.
