On Sunday (June 14), the first-ever UFC fight was held on the South Lawn of the White House. The massive event, dubbed UFC Freedom 250, featured a performance of the National Anthem from one of country music’s most successful groups, the Zac Brown Band.
The Zac Brown Band was accompanied by the United States Marine Band for their patriotic performance. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels orchestrated a stunning flyover above the White House near the song’s end.
The Zac Brown Band’s Anthem earned a warm round of applause from the audience. President Trump and UFC CEO Dana White both appeared moved by the performance.
Watch a small portion of the Zac Brown Band singing the National Anthem at the White House in the video below.
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Zac Brown Band Receives Mixed Reactions After Singing The National Anthem At UFC Freedom 250
Many viewers who tuned in to watch the fight were blown away by the Grammy-winning country group’s rendition of the National Anthem at the White House.
Some of the celebratory comments on the video above and on another clip that showed the band rehearsing included:
“I love being American. Why tf would I want to be anything else?”
“I don’t care what your politics are – you gotta admit, that’s pretty badass.”
“Thank you Zach [sic] Brown for showing up for America!!!!!! well done!!”
“Epic!! Our Army family is so proud of this great moment in history and grateful Zac and ZBB support our troops and nation! Bravo!!”
“A HUGE THANK YOU @zacbrown for loving, appreciating and respecting our country and troops. And we thank you for not making it political but about the men & women who fight past and present for our amazing country.”
“This is a wonderful example of American pride! Salute the ones who died, the ones who gave their lives, so we don’t have to sacrifice all the things we love…”
“Amazing! Thank you for representing the USA. I’m so proud to be an American.”
“Absolutely amazing performance tonight!!! Sent chills down my arms.”
However, the group also received some backlash on both of the above-mentioned videos:
Most of the negative comments didn’t criticize the quality of their performance. Rather, they critiqued the band for agreeing to the gig in the first place, considering its connection to the White House and President Trump.
“So embarrassing.”
“Well… cross the Zac Brown band off my playlist.”
“Love the band and music. Deeply disappointed in decision to choose this platform.”
“This is heartbreaking- as a band that tries to say ‘we are all on the same boat’, you just showed that’s not the case.”
“I cannot believe you chose to affiliate yourself with this event and this president @zacbrownband. Love your music but lost a ton of respect for you from this.”
“So sad to see you use your platform to support such a grotesque display by UFC. This is not patriotic.”
“Super disappointed!! If you want to represent and bring sides together- this was not the event.”
“Big fan, have seen ZBB at least ten times. This makes me sick.”
As you can see, the reactions to the band’s performance were pretty passionate on both sides.
Zac Brown Previously Addressed Those Who Criticized Their Decision To Sing The National Anthem
The Zac Brown Band faced pushback ever since news broke that they’d be performing the National Anthem at UFC Freedom 250. Zac Brown addressed the critics during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on June 10.
Brown said he didn’t view the performance as political. Rather, he felt like it was all about celebrating America as a country.
“I’m there for the troops, man,” Brown said. “I’m there to honor America. This is patriotism, not politics, for me. F*ck all the division. I don’t believe in that. I love this country, I love all the people that have sacrificed so I can live my American dream, and that everyone who lives here gets the chance to do that if they work hard, [and] make the right decisions.“
Brown continued to say:
“It doesn’t have a place in politics for me. There are gonna be 8,000 active duty service members that are gonna be there, I’m a massive UFC fan…it’s my favorite sport. I’m honored that Dana [White, UFC CEO] has given me the opportunity to do this.”
Watch the video below to hear Brown defend his (and his band’s) decision to sing the National Anthem at UFC Freedom 250.
