NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump walked out to a roaring standing ovation simply forward of the beginning of the UFC pay-per-view card at Madison Sq. Backyard on Saturday evening, combining two issues near his coronary heart: fierce battles contained in the octagon and New York Metropolis.
Trump was accompanied by UFC President Dana White and the pair headed to their cageside seats to Child Rock’s “American Dangerous Ass.”
UFC aired a video package deal of Trump’s highway to reclaiming the White Home, calling it, “The nice comeback in American Historical past,” whereas followers stood and applauded. Trump, carrying a swimsuit and crimson tie, pumped his fist towards the group when the video ended.
The president-elect additionally had his clenched fists pumping forwards and backwards and briefly danced to the Village Individuals’s “YMCA” simply exterior the cage. He later once more thrust his fist skyward as “Takin’ Care of Enterprise” performed.
Elon Musk, picked by Trump to steer a brand new Division of Authorities Effectivity, and Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., joined the president-elect and White on the Backyard, as did Robert Kennedy Jr., Trump’s selection to steer the Division of Well being and Human Providers in his incoming administration.
Trump was flanked on his front-row seat by White on his proper and Musk on his left and politely applauded the struggle winners. Besieged by photographers and close by followers, Trump stood to pose for photos with White, Musk and different associates in breaks between fights. Trump even had a short dialog with nation singer Jelly Roll after the pair shook palms.
UFC followers wore crimson Trump hats and a few waved flags emblazoned along with his picture throughout breaks within the motion.
Trump shook palms with the UFC broadcast crew that included Joe Rogan. Rogan hosted Trump on his podcast for hours within the remaining levels of the marketing campaign forward of his election win final week. The announcers for the pay-per-view viewers later declared, “Festive doesn’t even start to explain” the scene earlier than later proclaiming, “47’s within the constructing. Let’s go.”
The MSG crowd chanted “USA! USA!” proper earlier than the principle card was about to begin after which once more all through the motion. After a yr delay, Stipe Miocic is getting his shot at a 3rd heavyweight championship reign when he battles present champion Jon Jones in the principle occasion at UFC 309.
Jeff Bottari by way of Getty Photographs
Trump is a longtime UFC fanatic and frequent attendee of main fights. He made selling hypermasculine tones a signature of his marketing campaign — as he regarded to additional widen the hole amongst male voters between himself and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump and his high supporters embraced alpha-male phrases and infrequently accentuated them with vulgar and demeaning language.
Whereas campaigning, Trump appeared ceaselessly on podcasts, gaming platforms, and with key supporters who described a vote for Trump as a method to display true manliness. Whereas Trump taped a podcast with Rogan, who himself has spoken about hypermasculinity, Harris did not do the same look, citing scheduling conflicts.
A return to Madison Sq. Backyard means revisiting the place the place a comic induced an uproar at a Trump rally final month by likening Puerto Rico to a “floating island of rubbish.” But Trump continues to relish visits to New York, the place he lived for many years, earlier than transferring to his Mar-a-Lago membership in Palm Seaside, Florida.
Trump’s son, Don Jr., additionally attended the struggle.
Aside from a day journey to Washington this week to fulfill for practically two hours with President Joe Biden, and individually handle Home Republicans, Trump has been spending his time since his Election Day victory at Mar-a-Lago. The membership has hosted galas and conservative occasions all through the week.
Trump has been near White for greater than twenty years.
White hosted a 2001 UFC battle at Trump Taj Mahal, a former casino-hotel in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey, and Trump has ceaselessly attended UFC matches since – together with throughout his 2024 marketing campaign. Trump has turned up at fights not too long ago with well-known entourages, together with White, musician Child Rock and former Fox Information Channel host Tucker Carlson.
In 2018, throughout Trump’s first time period, he and White starred in a UFC video the place the then-president was known as the “Combatant In Chief.”
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As Trump has strengthened his grip on the nationwide Republican Occasion over the past near-decade, White’s private political profile has grown exponentially. White spoke on the 2016 and 2020 Republican conventions, and when the occasion gathered in Milwaukee this previous July. He additionally addressed the group at Trump’s Florida victory occasion within the wee hours of the morning after Election Day.
“That is what occurs when the machine comes after you,” White mentioned then. “What you’ve seen over the past a number of years, that is what it seems like: couldn’t cease him. He retains going ahead. He doesn’t give up.”
Weissert reported from Palm Seaside, Florida.