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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., offered a harsh rebuke to comedian Larry David’s comments slamming President Donald Trump’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary with a UFC fight hosted at the White House.
"It was a travesty," David told Variety — referring to the UFC fight — at the premiere of his new series on HBO, "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness," adding, "What else can you say about it?"
"It was embarrassing," the 78-year-old comic continued. "I was embarrassed to be an American."
Speaking with TMZ on Wednesday, Fetterman channeled a ‘80s comedy reference as he slammed David’s comments.
LARRY DAVID SLAMS TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE UFC FIGHT, SAYS IT MADE HIM 'EMBARRASSED TO BE AN AMERICAN'
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., walks through the Senate Subway during the Senate War Powers vote on April 22, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
"I’d say lighten up, Francis," Fetterman said, quoting a famous line from the 1981 movie, "Stripes."
The quote originates from a famous scene in which a character named Francis — played by Conrad Dunn — tells his fellow soldiers during Army basic training that he wants to be referred to as "Psycho," instead of his given name.
The request prompts Sgt. Hulka — played by Warren Oates — to quip, "Lighten up, Francis."
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Comedian Larry David arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala in Manhattan, New York, on May 4, 2015. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)
The callback to the Bill Murray-fronted film drew confusion from the TMZ reporter, who repeatedly asked Fetterman about the reference.
Fetterman went on to tell David to "get over himself," as he slammed the comedian for expressing his embarrassment over the event.
"Hey, I’m proud to be an American, and if you are embarrassed or whatever because of a UFC thing, get over yourself, dude," Fetterman added.
TRUMP MARKS 80TH BIRTHDAY WITH PATRIOTIC UFC FREEDOM 250 SPECTACLE ON WHITE HOUSE SOUTH LAWN
President Donald Trump hosts the UFC Freedom 250 fights on the South Lawn of the White House on June 15, 2026, celebrating his 80th birthday with a series of Ultimate Fighting Championship matches. (Jacquelyn Martin/Getty Images)
The UFC Freedom Fight 250 was hosted on the White House South Lawn and marked Trump’s 80th birthday earlier this month.
The event boasted an attendance of 1,200 active-duty service members and roughly 4,000 spectators, with both Trump and UFC president Dana White in the audience.
Attendees were also treated to a performance of the national anthem by the Marine Band and Zac Brown, and the event concluded with a flyover by the Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds.
"It was beyond anything that anybody's ever seen in sports," the president told reporters as he departed the White House ahead of the G7 summit in France.
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U.S. President Donald J. Trump watches the UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
When reached for comment, a White House spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital: "This was one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history, and President Trump hosting it at the White House is a testament to his vision to celebrate America’s monumental 250th anniversary. Anyone who finds a problem with that clearly suffers from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome."
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Fox News Digital reached out to David and Fetterman for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
Julia Bonavita is a media and culture writer for Fox News Digital, and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
