Eric Trump forcefully denied online allegations that he sought insider information about the UFC Freedom 250 event being held Sunday at the White House.
In a series of social media statements, the president’s second son responded to screenshots that appeared to show him asking whether the fights were “rigged,” dismissing them as fabricated by artificial intelligence.
His denials came as the combat spectacle unfolded on the South Lawn of the White House, where administration officials and thousands of spectators gathered around an octagon and under flashing lights to witness a series of bouts. The extravaganza, temporarily delayed by bad weather, is being held on the president’s 80th birthday.
Hours before the event began, UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier posted several screenshots purporting to show direct messages between himself and Eric Trump.
“I’m probably going to get a lot of flak for bringing this to light, but I refuse to stay silent,” he wrote.
In the purported exchange, Eric Trump asked Cormier for insight into the matchups, writing, “Who you got winning?” and “You placing any bets?”
He later apparently added: “I’ll just cut to the chase. Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I’ve been eying the Lopes fight and I think an upset wouldn’t be too unrealistic. $$.”
The post was quickly deleted, but screenshots of it quickly went viral on X, garnering millions of views.
Shortly after 8 p.m., Eric Trump — the executive vice president of the Trump Organization — began issuing a flurry of denunciations.
“This is completely fake! I have never reached out to Daniel. In fact, this is scary,” he wrote on X. A few minutes later, he added: “We are aware of the fake, AI generated screenshots being circulated online. I have never spoken to Daniel. He has since deleted his post, which confirms it was clearly fabricated.”
Kimberly Benza, a spokesperson for the Trump Organization, also weighed in, writing on X: “These screenshots are fake. They were fabricated and do not reflect reality…Please do better before sharing misinformation.”
Several members of the Trump family, including the president himself, have faced allegations of corruption and unethically profiting from the presidency.
Last month, the president disclosed thousands of stock transactions from the first quarter of 2026, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Critics have raised concerns that some of the companies he purchased stocks in hold federal contracts or could be impacted by his policy decisions.
“Technically he can do this, but it is a fundamental breach of trust,” Richard Painter, who served as White House ethics adviser in the George W. Bush administration, told The Associated Press.
At the time, Eric Trump took to X to defend his father, writing, “To suggest that individual stocks are being bought or sold, at the discretion of any member of the Trump family, would be a lie and blatantly false.”
The UFC White House event, being held in honor of America’s 250th birthday, has also been dogged by claims of malfeasance.
A lawsuit filed by the Public Integrity Project argues the president’s “deeply corrupt” event will give the UFC “unfettered access” to turn Washington, D.C.’s taxpayer-funded landmarks into billboards. A federal judge declined to block the event in a ruling issued Friday.