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John Fetterman answers Larry David's attack on Trump's White House UFC event with a classic movie one-liner
Sen. John Fetterman slams Larry David for calling President Donald Trump's White House UFC event embarrassing, telling the comedian to lighten up and get over himself.
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.
"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."
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.
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."
Fox News Digital reached out to David and Fetterman for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
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