Senator Fetterman Fires Back at Larry David’s Trump UFC Criticism With Classic Movie Zinger [WATCH]

Sen. John Fetterman responded to Larry David’s harsh words about President Donald Trump’s White House UFC event by channeling a line from a well-known 1980s comedy, as reported by Fox News.

The Pennsylvania Democrat offered his reply after the comedian condemned Trump’s 250th anniversary celebration that featured a UFC fight on the South Lawn.

David told Variety that the event was “a travesty,” going on to say, “It was embarrassing. I was embarrassed to be an American.”

Larry David says he was “embarrassed to be an American” over the UFC fight at the White House, which he calls a “travesty.” pic.twitter.com/UO0SSRQShd

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 25, 2026

Fetterman did not hold back in his own reaction. Speaking to TMZ on Wednesday, he used a line from the 1981 movie “Stripes” to jab back at the comedian.

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“I’d say lighten up, Francis,” Fetterman said, quoting the film.

John Fetterman vs Larry David is a funny feud. Funnier? The reporter here not knowing the phrase, “Lighten up, Francis,” and trying to get an explanation. pic.twitter.com/Q7fQX2Sqz7

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 24, 2026

The line comes from a scene in which a recruit nicknamed “Psycho,” played by Conrad Dunn, insists that others not use his real name. His sergeant, portrayed by Warren Oates, famously retorts, “Lighten up, Francis.”

The remark left the TMZ reporter puzzled, prompting Fetterman to explain his point even further.

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He then turned his fire directly on David, saying the comic needed to “get over himself.”

“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.

The UFC Freedom Fight 250 event celebrated Trump’s 80th birthday and marked the nation’s 250th anniversary earlier this month.

It took place on the White House South Lawn before an audience that included 1,200 service members and about 4,000 spectators.

Trump and UFC president Dana White attended, along with performances of the national anthem by the Marine Band and singer Zac Brown. The celebration closed with a flyover by the Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds.

Trump described the spectacle for reporters as “beyond anything that anybody’s ever seen in sports.”

The White House later praised the event in a statement, calling it “one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history” and asserting that anyone who objected suffered from “a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Larry David and Sen. Fetterman did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for further comment.

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