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McGregor Claims White House Negotiations Include 100 Gold Card Visas · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Former UFC champion Connor McGregor has claimed he is negotiating directly with the U.S.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: government for a$100 million purse and 100 gold card visas to headline a planned White House fight event in June 2026.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: The alleged package would include the newly created immigration permits for his family and friends.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: McGregor made the assertion on social media platform X, stating he had been offered$100 million to fight at the White House along with 100 U.S.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: golden visas for myself and family and friends.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: The Irish fighter has not competed in the UFC since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg and a loss to Dustin Poirier.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the program on September 19, 2025, requiring individuals to donate$1 million to the Commerce Department in exchange for expedited permanent residency processing.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Corporate sponsors can secure cards for employees by donating$2 million per individual.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: The program's structure creates questions about McGregor's claim.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: Gold cards function as investor visas, requiring the recipient or sponsor to make unrestricted financial gifts to the federal government, not as transferable benefits the government distributes to third parties.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Each card necessitates a separate million-dollar donation and individual vetting by the Department of Homeland Security.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: If McGregor's assertion proves accurate, the 100 gold cards would carry a nominal value of$100 million in required donations on top of the$100 million payout he says he would get.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: The claim suggests either the U.S.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: government or another entity would absorb these costs on behalf of McGregor's family and friends, an arrangement without precedent in the program's brief history and could potentially set a precedent.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: UFC President Dana White has confirmed discussions about hosting an event at the White House to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: White told media outlets that, quote, Connor and I have been talking consistently, he wants this fight bad.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: And when you get to a level that Connor is at, you have to find things that motivate you.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: And the White House card has definitely motivated him, end quote.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: White has not addressed McGregor's specific financial claims.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: The White House has not issued any statement confirming McGregor's assertions about either the purse or visa arrangement.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: The UFC similarly has not verified the claim terms.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Commerce Secretary Howard Lotnik, whose department oversees the gold card program, has not commented on any connection between the visa initiative and the proposed sporting event.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Immigration attorney David Lesperants of Lesperants and Associates characterized McGregor's quoted compensation as aspirational.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: The president cannot unilaterally distribute gold cards, particularly as the program awaits congressional action to formalize its legal framework.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Trump's executive order mandates that the Commerce, State, and Homeland Security Departments establish the program within 90 days.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: L'esperance notes that the next step requires draft legislation to be introduced to Congress, though the administration has begun processing applications under the executive order framework.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Commerce Secretary Lutnik announced that traditional immigration pathways face suspension within a month, positioning the gold card as the primary model for future immigration.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: The official website Trumpcard.gov confirms that gold cardholders receive lawful permanent resident status as employment-based first preference, or EB1, or employment-based second preference EB, two visa holders, categories that historically served individuals with extraordinary abilities or advanced degrees.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Trump first proposed the concept at$5 million in February 2025.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: The administration has since established a three-tier structure beyond the basic gold card.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: The Trump Corporate Gold Card requires$2 million per employee while creating transferable corporate immigration assets.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Companies can cease sponsoring one employee and redirect the gift contribution to a new employee without making an additional$2 million payment, subject to transfer fees and vetting.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: A proposed$5 million Platinum Card would allow holders to spend up to 270 days annually in the United States without taxation on foreign income.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: This tier requires congressional approval before implementation.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: The official website states the Platinum Card is coming soon and encourages prospective applicants to join a waitlist for first-come, first-served processing.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Commerce Secretary Lutnik projected the program would generate over$100 billion in revenue, though this requires selling 100,000 gold cards or 20,000 platinum cards.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: The administration plans to make 80,000 gold cards available initially, exceeding typical annual EB1 and EB2 issuance combined.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: McGregor's claims arrive amid legal and reputational challenges for the fighter.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: An Irish court rejected his appeal in a civil case where a jury found him liable for sexual assault in November 2024, ordering him to pay£206,000 in damages.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: He withdrew from the Irish presidential race in September 2025 after facing questions about his eligibility and fitness for office.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: The feasibility of McGregor's claimed compensation package depends on factors beyond public view.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: Whether the UFC, the U.S.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: government, corporate sponsors, or some combination would fund such an arrangement remains unconfirmed.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: The absence of corroborating statements from official sources leaves McGregor's assertions in the realm of unverified claims.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: This episode first appeared as an article by Ahmad Abbas on IMIDaily.com.
• 5:43
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