President Donald Trump hosted unprecedented mixed martial arts fights on the White House lawn on Sunday, an event that quickly went viral for several reasons. Among them was a widely circulated video claiming to show US Marines and soldiers saluting a UFC fighter as he walked out of the White House alongside two officials. The video gained massive traction after a social media user shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter). Calling it “beyond ludicrous,” the user asked, “Why the hell are U.S. Marines and soldiers saluting a UFC fighter?”
“The military swears an oath to the Constitution, not celebrities, influencers, or the latest personality cult,” the user alleged. “Watching service members rendered as props for a UFC spectacle is beneath the dignity of the uniform and beneath the dignity of the country.”
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Watch the video here:
This is beyond ludicrous.
Why the hell are U.S. Marines and soldiers saluting a UFC fighter?
The military swears an oath to the Constitution, not celebrities, influencers, or the latest personality cult. Watching service members rendered as props for a UFC spectacle is beneath… pic.twitter.com/gPh0590gtv
— P a u l ◉ (@SkylineReport) June 15, 2026
The truth behind the clip
As the post racked up nearly two million views, the online community stepped in to provide crucial context. Observers claimed that the service members were apparently saluting Medal of Honor recipient Ty Carter. Carter was escorting the UFC fighter as part of the event’s “heroes” walkout tribute.
By strict military tradition, all US military personnel salute Medal of Honor recipients, regardless of rank. According to the National Medal of Honor Museum, the award is bestowed by the President in the name of Congress to individuals who have shaped American history through acts of valour and sacrifice.
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Out of the 40 million Americans who have served in the US Armed Forces since the Civil War, fewer than 4,000 have received the honour.
Crucially, official guidelines confirm that Medal of Honor recipients are the only individuals entitled to a salute from all ranks of the military, meaning the service members in the video were upholding time-honoured military protocol, not cheering on a celebrity.
