The White House South Lawn has hosted Easter egg rolls, t-ball games, and the occasional military flyover. Add freestyle motocross to the list. Travis Pastrana, the godfather of Nitro Circus and the guy who has been launching dirt bikes off of anything with a pulse for 2 decades, took a ramp to the executive residence and did what Travis Pastrana does.
Pastrana going full send in front of the South Portico, American flags and Humvees framing the landing.
If you grew up watching the original Nitro Circus DVDs, this is a full-circle moment. The kid who was breaking himself in half on backyard ramps in Maryland is now sticking backflips on the most famous lawn in America. Pair it with the UFC octagon that's getting built on the same grounds and the South Lawn is basically a full-blown sports complex right now.
Rehearsal footage from the upcoming UFC card at the White House, with Gaethje walking the cage.
Naturally, not everyone is on board with the lawn becoming an action sports venue. CaptainCons jumped in with the tradition-and-decorum take, which is at least an internally consistent position — if you didn't want concerts on the lawn, you probably don't want dirt bikes on it either.
Cons drawing the line on what the South Lawn should and shouldn't host.
lol I don’t care if Mickey Mouse was the president, I don’t support events like this on the White House lawn I prefer tradition and decorum. The lawn is not meant for professional sporting events. Plain and simple
Counterpoint: a guy in a helmet doing a backflip on a dirt bike in front of the White House rules, actually. You can argue the principle all you want, but the visual of Pastrana inverted over the South Lawn is going to live on the internet forever. America, indeed.