Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Trump turned the White House South Lawn into a UFC cage for his 80th birthday — a gladiator spectacle dubbed Freedom 250, with $1.5 million ringside seats and a crowd he handpicked himself. David sits down with Ben Case — writer, organizer, and former pro Muay Thai fighter — to get at what the fights are really about: private equity, tech billionaires, and the Saudi government quietly consolidating control over all of combat sports, with Trump as the would-be emperor cashing in (he even bought TKO stock first).
Plus, up top: the Texas GOP convention, where delegates told lifelong Muslim Republicans to convert to Christianity or leave the country, an elephant marched for "Don't Sharia Our Texas," and the lunatic fringe finished becoming the party.
And lastly, David sits down with working-class candidate Eon Huntley, who is running a democratic socialist campaign in NYC!
Ben Case:
jacobin.com/2026/06/ufc-freedom-trump-white-saudis
Eon Huntley Campaign:
eonforassembly.com
Support Left Reckoning and get the Sunday shows: patreon.com/leftreckoning
New here? Subscribe and hit the bell — it genuinely helps us keep doing this.
Twitter: @LeftReckoning / @davidgriscom / @MattLech
Trump turned the White House South Lawn into a UFC cage for his 80th birthday — a gladiator spectacle dubbed Freedom 250, with $1.5 million ringside seats and a crowd he handpicked himself. David sits down with Ben Case — writer, organizer, and former pro Muay Thai fighter — to get at what the fights are really about: private equity, tech billionaires, and the Saudi government quietly consolidating control over all of combat sports, with Trump as the would-be emperor cashing in (he even bought TKO stock first).
Plus, up top: the Texas GOP convention, where delegates told lifelong Muslim Republicans to convert to Christianity or leave the country, an elephant marched for "Don't Sharia Our Texas," and the lunatic fringe finished becoming the party.
And lastly, David sits down with working-class candidate Eon Huntley, who is running a democratic socialist campaign in NYC!
Ben Case:
jacobin.com/2026/06/ufc-freedom-trump-white-saudis
Eon Huntley Campaign:
eonforassembly.com
Support Left Reckoning and get the Sunday shows: patreon.com/leftreckoning
New here? Subscribe and hit the bell — it genuinely helps us keep doing this.
Twitter: @LeftReckoning / @davidgriscom / @MattLech
