Althouse: "Would I rather watch the cast of 'Hamilton' at the White House than men pummeling each other into bloody pulps?"

June 19, 2026

"Would I rather watch the cast of 'Hamilton' at the White House than men pummeling each other into bloody pulps?"

"You bet. But there’s a chasmic difference between brilliant Broadway performers and hyped-up men kicking and punching for spectacle. I can’t bear to think what the rest of the world sees when it watches the most powerful country on Earth, the heart of democracy, descend from the hilltop into the primal muck where man-as-beast triumphs over the sublime. (That’s me being polite.)"

Writes Kathleen Parker, in "Trump’s big, beautiful brawl was the worst birthday present ever/A $60 million South Lawn cage match cheapened the People’s House" (WaPo).

101 comments:

RideSpaceMountain said...: "Cheap"; 6/19/26, 1:38 PM
Colleen Brown said...: I don't like combat sports, I don't like MMA fighting, but I watched UFC freedom 250 on Sunday. I didn't watch the fights, but the pageantry was amazing! First and foremost - the Marine band was the best. They were amazing. Everyone should Google full UFC White House walkouts to listen to how great they were. The fighters were accompanied by medal of honor recipients and first responders when they walked to the octagon. National anthem was great. Flyover was amazing. I'm so sick of these liberal whin; 6/19/26, 1:39 PM
Sydney said...: I thought it was a tasteless thing to do, too, but I have to admit that the photos coming from Trump's event looked like a genuinely joyful party for the people. On the other hand, the footage I saw of Obama's big party looked like a dull gathering of elderly elites.; 6/19/26, 1:39 PM
Aggie said...: The revisionist wants her version of alternate history put on worldwide display instead of the President's choice. It's really important we take her direction you see, because her candidate lost.; 6/19/26, 1:39 PM
Colleen Brown said...: Accidentally hit publish before I finished the last sentence. I'm sick of the liberal whiners looking down their noses at everyone else.; 6/19/26, 1:40 PM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Monica sez "Hold Bill's belt"..; 6/19/26, 1:42 PM
tommyesq said...: The January 6th prosecutions proved that nothing in D.C. is "the People's" whatever.; 6/19/26, 1:43 PM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Topless transgenders …; 6/19/26, 1:45 PM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: I asked AI what was the classiest event ever held at the Trump White and it answered that it was the UFC fights.; 6/19/26, 1:46 PM
Aggie said...: @RSM, as tasteless and in-your-face as that picture of the trannie was, I continue to be more profoundly disturbed by the other person in that photo, standing next to him. The thin young woman showing her double mastectomy scars, not proud but with an abashed expression that seemed to be beseeching of acceptance. It affected me much more.

What person would prefer these images be shown to the world over any other, as representing the USA? Images of self-mutilation and spiritual chaos.; 6/19/26, 1:47 PM
Dave Begley said...: Dear Kathleen Parker:

People have different tastes and opinions about entertainment. I wouldn't be caught dead at an MMA fight and I'd never watch one on TV. I would prefer to see Hamilton. But I don't whine and complain about how some people like MMA, including the President.

Diversity is our strength.

There's no disputing taste.

It's all about freedom, lady.; 6/19/26, 1:48 PM
Iman said...: Cheer up, Kathleen. You’ll always have the BIG ZER0!

https://x.com/JonasCord1961/status/2068029961097842942; 6/19/26, 1:49 PM
CJinPA said...: Trump's VP Mike Pence went to see "Hamilton" in 2017. He was rewarded by being called out and chided by a cast member at play's end.; 6/19/26, 1:59 PM
Michael Fitzgerald said...: I think the next event at the White House should be UFC fighters beating the piss out of the cast of Hamilton. Would love to watch Justin Gaethje obliterate Lin Manuel-Miranda's face for 5 rounds.; 6/19/26, 2:01 PM
Mason G said...: Dear Kathleen Parker:

Go suck a toad, bitch.

That's me, being polite.; 6/19/26, 2:04 PM
Marty said...: Ah, WaPo: you never disappoint.; 6/19/26, 2:05 PM
Maynard said...: I saw Hamilton in January. The lead was terrible and parts of the dialogue were overly politicized, as my life long TDS Democrat wife observed.

UFC is not my thing, but I am glad people enjoyed it.; 6/19/26, 2:11 PM
tim maguire said...: Would I rather watch the cast of 'Hamilton' at the White House than men pummeling each other into bloody pulps?"
"You bet.

Sure, because only 1 group can ever be invited to the White House, and it has to be one of these 2.

What is wrong with these people!?; 6/19/26, 2:11 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: If Trump was able to fall asleep during a UFC cage fight — I’m fairly confident he’s sleep through Hamilton. 💤

Rubio compared the fight to the US putting a man on the moon."
And he's supposed to be among the more sophisticated members of Cabinet.

The moon landing was a triumph — the cage match a spectacle. They could not be more different.; 6/19/26, 2:14 PM
JaimeRoberto said...: My goodness, what will the Europeans say at our next cocktail party?; 6/19/26, 2:24 PM
IamDevo said...: Oh, dear. Poor Ms. Parker's delicate sensibilities were offended by the festivities. Hurry, find the smelling salts! Look between the cushions on the Washington Post fainting couch.; 6/19/26, 2:25 PM
Lewis said...: LOL! What a boring person she is. So full of herself. She enjoys her life of luxury and privilege but doesn't seem to realize that it was tough fighting men like those MMA fighters who established and keep this the most powerful country on Earth. What an idiot.; 6/19/26, 2:30 PM
mezzrow said...: "Not our type" she said as she walked on as if they weren't there.; 6/19/26, 2:32 PM
RideSpaceMountain said...: @Aggie, nonsense. Here's one of their prominent spokespeople talking about how "happy" they feel. It oozes happy...can you feel the "joy"?; 6/19/26, 2:34 PM
Lazarus said...: It's just a blip -- a brief, one-time, inconsequential event -- but we'll be hearing about it until the end of time.

Politics and high culture don't mix well. Whatever was wrong with this event it's good that we didn't try that (not that 'Hamilton' actually is high culture).; 6/19/26, 2:35 PM
Jimmy said...: The same people, and this blogs trolls, saying how terrible the event was are the same ones who said how beautiful and loving topless trannies, butt sex , and general perversion was, and is...; 6/19/26, 2:48 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: Would I go see Hamilton? Never. Too much reputation for liberal propaganda. How about the UFC? Not on TV. But definitely in person.

Why? After all, I have never been into fighting. Don’t like boxing (FIL was the NV light heavyweight Golden Gloves champion). Stupid sport. Didn’t like UFC on TV either.

So, why in person? The IP practice group in our law firm represented the UFC. (As their patent attorney I got to meet Dana White). We had a young aggressive female associate who pushed her way onto our UFC team. One of the perks was good UFC tickets. She had to see at least one fight live, just to show her commitment to the client. As a woman, dreaded going. Came back a fanatical fan. She described as the most atavistic thing that she had ever experienced.

Try that with Hamilton.; 6/19/26, 2:52 PM
Peachy said...: Mz. Parker - wow - the same opinion from the snooty elites - again.
....and again
and again.... and again... and again...

piss off, wanker. This is entertainment for the normies. You snob.; 6/19/26, 2:53 PM
Fred Drinkwater said...: "Hamilton"? Of course she says Hamilton. Have you seen it? It's gibberish, and poorly rendered gibberish at that.; 6/19/26, 2:53 PM
Peachy said...: Jimmy - exactly.

Actual democratics filming their own butt sex in a government chamber - it the height of Miz. Parker's sophistication.; 6/19/26, 2:55 PM
n.n said...: Say no to brawls, no to Diversity... Yes to Diversity. Say yes to entertain abortive ideation. Performing human rites is a progressive liberal woke of religious art. #HateTrumpsLove; 6/19/26, 2:55 PM
john mosby said...: Um, Hamilton is about dudes shooting each other to death.

Maybe if UFC added catchy show tunes….? CC, JSM; 6/19/26, 2:59 PM
bagoh20 said...: Get out of your bubble and visit America some time.; 6/19/26, 3:02 PM
Esteban said...: Why do people care so much? I'm fine with MMA there. I'm fine with a musical or fireworks or a poetry reading or a magic show or stand up comedy. There is no more worthy form of entertainment than another.; 6/19/26, 3:05 PM
Matt said...: You couldn’t pay me to sit through either one of those.

If cUlTuRaL aPpRoPrIaTiOn was actually a thing, Hamilton would have been cancelled from the start. I will never watch it unless I’m tied to a chair and my eyes forced open à la A Clockwork Orange.; 6/19/26, 3:07 PM
Not an oldster. said...: "Lighten up, Francis..."; 6/19/26, 3:11 PM
chuck said...: I bet the Margaret Dumont got paid a lot more than Kathleen Parker.; 6/19/26, 3:16 PM
Not an oldster. said...: When it's your birthday,
You can plan the party you like, Kathleen. Did your work make you go to this one? Not everybody likes everything...it's like PRIDE: dont like it? Don't mock, snark or complain...dont go. Keep it off your radar. It's not for you. Not everything is... that's ok.; 6/19/26, 3:18 PM
bagoh20 said...: I think what she's trying to say is that you judge the success of a national celebration by how few people watch it. Zero eyeballs is perfection, and very democratic.; 6/19/26, 3:21 PM
Vance said...: Weird Al's Hamilton Polka was the definitive version of Hamilton. Far better than the actual musical. And far shorter too!; 6/19/26, 3:22 PM
bagoh20 said...: The thing that the Left hates most about America is all the Americans here and all their American stuff. That and fun. Fun really pisses them off.; 6/19/26, 3:24 PM
Two-eyed Jack said...: I wish we could have, rather than the congressional baseball game, some sort of congressional wrestling match. It should be accompanied by Bruce Springsteen and Kid Rock singing their greatest hits, then stripping to the waist and joining the melee.

That is what America should be showing the world.; 6/19/26, 3:24 PM
bagoh20 said...: Joe Rogan described it as the most amazing event he's ever seen, and events are what he's done for a living.; 6/19/26, 3:26 PM
Peachy said...: Parker prefers hairy men in dresses in little girl's dressing rooms at the YMCA. I'll bet.
woke.; 6/19/26, 3:29 PM
Jim at said...: Kathleen Parker's still alive?; 6/19/26, 3:35 PM
wendybar said...: What Matt said @ 3:07 pm; 6/19/26, 3:37 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Hamilton excludes white men from playing any of the founding fathers. Sounds kind of racist and divisive to me. Hardly something to bring all Americans together.; 6/19/26, 3:38 PM
Eva Marie said...: @RSM 2:34 I clicked on your link. (thanks) In the comments are the before and after photos. Seriously sad.; 6/19/26, 3:44 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: “I can’t bear to think what the rest of the world sees when it watches the most powerful country on Earth, the heart of democracy, descend from the hilltop into the primal muck where man-as-beast triumphs over the sublime.”

They’re thinking, “Better not mess with the U.S.”

Come to think of it, that could be the tagline of a great musical.; 6/19/26, 3:47 PM
MadisonMan said...: Oh Dear. Kathleen Parker doesn't like it. I'm all verklempt. When you've lost the East Coast Doyenne Set, you're really in trouble.; 6/19/26, 3:53 PM
Mary Beth said...: I have no interest in watching men fight. I also have no interest in the cast of "Hamilton". I don't expect things to always appeal to my taste in entertainment.; 6/19/26, 3:59 PM
Eva Marie said...: “scantily clad Octagon girls” That’s the second time I’ve read that. First, what a cliche. Second the outfits were all different and imaginative, not at all revealing and the women all looked wonderful. Kudos to the designer.
https://www.maxim.com/sports/exclusive-red-dela-cruz-chrissy-blair-reveal-octagon-girl-outfits-for-ufc-freedom-250/#google_vignette; 6/19/26, 4:01 PM
Lucien said...: “Chasmic”? That’s are real word? Orgasmic!; 6/19/26, 4:06 PM
Eva Marie said...: Plus I loved the fights.; 6/19/26, 4:06 PM
Lance said...: I am a warrior so my son can be a businessman and his grandson can be an artist and my g'g'g'g'great granddaughter can be a Washington Post columnist.; 6/19/26, 4:07 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Polls show that only 15% of Americans approve of Trump’s UFC spectacle on the White House grounds. But in this Althouse brothel/ketamine bar, that percentage feels much higher.; 6/19/26, 4:23 PM
Michael Fitzgerald said...: Crackhead son of Creepy Joe wants a UFC-style fight on the White House lawn against Don Trump Jr. Now that would be an event that all America can enjoy. Much more exciting than Family Feud.

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/06/19/hunter-biden-challenges-donald-trump-jr-to-cage-match-after-ufc-white-house-event-offended-him/; 6/19/26, 4:24 PM
Big Mike said...: For starters, after what happened to Mike Pence in 2016 when he attended a performance of the overhyped, overrated, historically bogus shoe “Hamilton” in New York. How Kathleen Parker, or any other TDS-afflicted fool, could be such an obtuse nincompoop as to imagine that Donald Trump would or should provide a national stage to vent their TDS upon the President, his cabinet and staff, and his supporters, well, tgst is impossible got a sane individual to grasp.

As to UFC, yes, I get that a great many pearl-clutching women and milquetoast men don’t appreciate the sport. But perhaps if they had enough humility to attempt to understand why combatvdoorts are popular instead of; 6/19/26, 4:29 PM
Big Mike said...: … combat sports resonate with some people instead of reflexively sticking their noses up in the air while muttering darkly about “crackers” and “bitter clingers, we the People might just learn to get along.

Oh, who am I kidding? Liberals, and especially AWFLs, always assume that unity means everyone has to conform to them and they need not budge one damned inch from their own position.; 6/19/26, 4:35 PM
jim said...: 50 years ago, almost to the day, and 1000 feet SW, I participated in a tooth-knocking-out contest against a Mohawk lacrosse team. That's sport, despite the inherent violence.

UFC, not a sport.; 6/19/26, 4:45 PM
Tina Trent said...: UFC is more diverse than Hamilton and loved around the world, is what they would think. Except for France. And the French are terrible writers, with very few exceptions.; 6/19/26, 4:46 PM
Eva Marie said...: 1. “The closest apples‑to‑apples comparison is Trump’s 2019 July 4 “Salute to America” on the Mall/near the White House, which the cable nets carried live:
Fox News’ coverage of the speech drew about 4.6–4.8 million viewers.
CNN’s coverage added roughly 1.5 million.
That puts total live TV audience for the speech in the ballpark of a bit over 6 million across those two channels (MSNBC didn’t carry it live)”
For a nonTrump White House lawn event the numbers were so dismal they weren’t even tracked.
2. Disapproval of Biden’s Easter Sunday transgender event were so high that they also weren’t tracked but probably in the 60 ti 70% range.; 6/19/26, 4:46 PM
Jim at said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/19/26, 4:51 PM
Jim at said...: Polls show that only 15% of Americans approve of Trump’s UFC spectacle on the White House grounds.

Did they runs polls on how many people supported a bunch of trans freaks running around topless on the White House lawn?

No? Why not?; 6/19/26, 4:53 PM
Eva Marie said...: Why is UFC not a sport?; 6/19/26, 5:04 PM
n.n said...: There was an opportunity for men and women, couples, to dance together. However, ironically, the call to grace and harmony among the sexesprovoked a brawl in progress.; 6/19/26, 5:08 PM
Eva Marie said...: Rather why is MMA not a sport?; 6/19/26, 5:08 PM
Clyde said...: I see that the topless trannies angle has already been well-covered, so I don't need to add anything more. If folks like Kathleen didn't have double standards, they'd have no standards at all.; 6/19/26, 5:12 PM
n.n said...: :italics on:15% approve a brawl outside of a BLM clinic, parade: italics offe:

Liberals are a transient burden. H/t Obama

That said, the Democratic/dictatorial duality brays for its traditional fetus... feature.; 6/19/26, 5:14 PM
rehajm said...: …I like they write this bilge with the hope it will alter the outcome of elections but it will have no impact on the outcome of elections…; 6/19/26, 5:34 PM
Caroline said...: Imagine Trump had invited the cast of Hamilton to perform. The only way they would have accepted is if they could inflict some shrill virtue signaling. They would have all come out wearing keffiyas, and created a new catchy chorus called, “from the river to the sea.” Part of what pushes trump to outrageous entertainment is, I suspect, the treatment he’s gotten from the cultural bien pensants. Imagine if Bruce Springsteen had the magnanimity to see what a boon it would be to America to headline the 250th celebration. More stars would have followed, and we might have had a nice little moment of common culture. But no. Humiliating Trump is their brand, and so Trump turns to those who love him, which is why we end up with pageantry by kid rock and the ufc. What the Hollywood types don’t realize is that this makes them small and smarmy, which is what they project upon Trump. Shorter versi9n: the cast of Hamilton wouldn t have performed at the White House for any thing.; 6/19/26, 5:43 PM
Leland said...: The rest of the world is traveling to the US to watch men challenge each other in sport, because everywhere people enjoy competition more than watching theater kids.; 6/19/26, 5:54 PM
rehajm said...: I always root for King George…; 6/19/26, 5:55 PM
john mosby said...: If Hamilton is a great topic for a musical, imagine Trump. Or a Peter Sellars/John Adams opera about Trump.

Unfortunately, it will probably take longer after Trump's eventual passing than it took for Nixon in China, and almost as long as it took for Hamilton, to happen after their subjects'.

Come to think of it, why hasn't there been an Obama musical yet? CC, JSM; 6/19/26, 6:12 PM
ThatsGoingToLeaveA said...: The rest of the world is traveling to the US to watch men challenge each other in sport,.... And get free refills while enjoying 1st amendment freedom.; 6/19/26, 6:12 PM
gilbar said...: Kathleen Parker?
who the HELL, was she?
did she used to be a person, or something?
i think i may have read about someone named that, back in a History book.
a Real old one, that was about the later half of the last century; 6/19/26, 6:22 PM
Eva Marie said...: So I get that the UFC doesn’t arrange fights strictly on rankings but on audience appeal (so not a sport) and I get that the object of fighting is to physically damage the opponent so he/she can’t continue (so not a sport). In the strictest sense not a sport, I suppose. Yet MMA appeals to a lot of at risk young men and teaches important skills as well. And these young men aren’t reachable with dance lessons or trips to museums or basketball. I’m not going to be a cheerleader for the UFC or MMA but I can still appreciate the skills and the motivation that these men (and women) have.
MMA programs provide structure, community, awesome physical skills, and a channel for aggression - and how to manage that aggression. Those are all important and serve a population that really benefits from the coaching and the training.; 6/19/26, 6:26 PM
gilbar said...: Serious Question:
is there a rule now?
that says that Democrats MUST USE WALKERS?
or do Some of them still get to get by with canes?; 6/19/26, 6:28 PM
john mosby said...: Casting Trump- The Musical (if by some miracle it could get produced today):

Trump - Hugh Jackman (he is apparently a friend of the Trump family)
Melania - Idina Menzel
Ivana - Patti LuPone
Marla Maples - Kristen Chenoweth
Stormy Daniels - Sarah Jessica Parker
Ivanka - Scarlett Johansson
Obama - Giancarlo Esposito
Biden - Jeremy Clarkson
Fred Trump - J K Simmons
Trump's Grandma - Emma Thompson
Maduro - Tony Dalton
Epstein - Andy Cohen

Just the first few that came to mind. Maybe the chief obstacle to a Trump musical is the sheer size of the endeavor - the 50 year timeframe and the cast of hundreds. Might have to divide it up like the Ring Cycle or the History Plays. CC, JSM; 6/19/26, 6:29 PM
Eva Marie said...: Plus what’s not to like watching scantily clad men try to kill each other?; 6/19/26, 6:34 PM
Leland said...: Polls are easier to fake than audience viewer numbers. Average of 7 million viewers and 17 million unique views during the performance is a successful program. It is more views than this year’s Indy 500.; 6/19/26, 6:39 PM
gilbar said...: bagoh20 said...
"..I think what she's trying to say is that you judge the success of a national celebration by how few people watch it.."

as i've always said; there are two types of music
popular music (called "pop music" for short),
and unpopular music; 6/19/26, 6:45 PM
Mason G said...: According to ChatGPT...

"So my best estimate is:
About 9–12 million unique Americans have seen Hamilton live at least once."

Looks about like a push when compared to the White House event, figuring margin of error in counting. So anyone who says the "big, beautiful brawl" was a flop due to the number of viewers is saying that "Hamilton" was, too.

Next!; 6/19/26, 7:03 PM
Craig Mc said...: I'm not even remotely a UFC fan, but I'd walk over broken glass to avoid Hamilton.; 6/19/26, 7:07 PM
Goldenpause said...: Kathleen Parker clutching her pearls for those Trump hating lefties who still read The Washington Post. Boring.; 6/19/26, 7:08 PM
Goldenpause said...: Kathleen Parker clutching her pearls for those Trump hating lefties who still read The Washington Post. Boring.; 6/19/26, 7:08 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: The writer should go back in time to the Andrew Jackson era. She'd be clutching her pearls fervently while watching Andy's supporters go into the White House, get likkered up, engage in brawls and generally trash the place. As for Hamilton---meh.; 6/19/26, 7:50 PM
tcrosse said...: It's never going to happen, but I could imagine Don Giovanni staged as the JFK White House.; 6/19/26, 8:29 PM
narciso said...: She despised the most honest earnest candidate we ever had
Minute 15:45; 6/19/26, 8:32 PM
AZ Bob said...: Let's have the Monster Jan pick ups next or a NASCAR race around the White House.; 6/19/26, 9:07 PM
narciso said...: We have the races coming up in dc; 6/19/26, 9:18 PM
Tarrou said...: Always funny how much the party supposedly on the side of the working poor always despises them and their entertainments.; 6/19/26, 10:11 PM
Rocco said...: "Would I rather watch the cast of 'Hamilton' at the White House than men pummeling each other into bloody pulps?"
"You bet.”

Ok, hear me out, Kathleen: Hamilton! but with strippers.; 6/20/26, 5:39 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Sure she prefers effete theatre kids over warriors. That’s also the Left’s approach to the military too. But don’t pretend you progressives have any respect for the White House. There’s simply hundreds of years of evidence to the contrary.; 6/20/26, 5:57 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Hamilton she said but she meant the racist all-black musical not the actual white president.; 6/20/26, 5:59 AM
Anthony said...: Imagine if Bruce Springsteen had the magnanimity to see what a boon it would be to America to headline the 250th celebration. More stars would have followed, and we might have had a nice little moment of common culture.

Fortunately, we have the Tartan Army and Viking Rowers instead, and all seem to love this country more than Parker does.; 6/20/26, 11:19 AM
Biff said...: Kathleen Parker's comment and the surrounding discussion remind me of some old college conversations. It always struck me as inconsistent when people had problems with college athletics, whether they involved scholarships or not, but were enraptured by colleges recruiting oboe players and theater kids.

Athletics, especially those related most closely with combat, have a robust history and tradition going back at least as far as any field of performance, and they require phenomenal skill, practice, and discipline to engage in those sports at the highest level. I think one can argue further that true innovation is required at least as much in sport as in the performing arts.

In the end, Parker's chasm is one of class membership, not one of rigor or talent.; 6/20/26, 3:06 PM
Biff said...: By the way, I have found Kathleen Parker to be an interesting and sometimes amusing writer. I used to enjoy whenever she was a guest on Dennis Miller's old show. Nonetheless, she is a DC denizen, with all that goes along with being a frequent WaPo contributor.; 6/20/26, 3:11 PM
Josephbleau said...: But I would rather see a martial arts match at the White House than too less trannies, but Beiden seemed to enjoy them.; 6/20/26, 3:51 PM
Josephbleau said...: Topless trannies.; 6/20/26, 3:52 PM
Greg The Class Traitor said...: Hamilton spread lies, so I'd much rather have the cage match; 6/20/26, 5:24 PM