Associated Press
President Donald Trump said the standing ovation and cheers he drew when he took his seat at a UFC event in his home state of Florida were signs “we’re doing a good job.”
Trump shook hands with some supporters as he walked to his cageside seat Saturday night at Miami’s Kaseya Center while others waved his trademark red campaign cap. The Republican president, who stayed for several hours before flying back to his home in Palm Beach, said it was a “great honor” to receive that recognition from the crowd.
“It says we’re doing a good job. If we weren’t doing a good job, we’d get the opposite,” he told reporters accompanying him aboard Air Force One.
In the nearly three months since he has been back in office, Trump has launched a broad effort led by billionaire Elon Musk to shrink government by firing thousands of workers and cutting spending, tried unsuccessfully thus far to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and impose tariffs against many countries, including close allies of the United States.
Democrats, and even some Trump supporters, have criticized his early actions.
But at UFC, it was a night focused on the fighters in the cage.
“Every one of them came up at the end, and they were great,” Trump said. “I mean, they’re all warriors, modern day warriors.”
At one point, fighter Dominick Reyes walked over to the side of the Octagon after winning his bout and acknowledged Trump. Reyes went to take a photo with the president after the post-fight interview.
The president watched as Australian Alexander Volkanovski won his 10th championship fight in a row, defeating Diego Lopes of Brazil early Sunday morning by unanimous decision in the featherweight contest.
Trump is a longtime UFC fan and sports enthusiast who has frequently attended major fights and has had a longtime friendship with Dana White, the UFC president and CEO.
It was Trump’s first UFC visit since returning to the White House in January and came weeks after he attended the Saudi-sponsored LIV golf tournament at his golf club in Miami.
Trump attended the Super Bowl and Daytona 500, both in February. He was cageside at a UFC championship fight in New York in November, shortly after winning the election. Trump’s close affiliation with UFC had helped boost his campaign among young male voters.
As Trump entered the Miami arena accompanied by White, the president shared an embrace with podcast host Joe Rogan. Musk and Rogan sat by Trump’s side.
Also at the event were several members of his administration, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
8 comments
Peachy
April 13, 2025 at 8:47 am
Still running circles around the previous administration. Joe never attended events like this because he was already in bed. This is way past his bedtime.
Ocean Joe
April 13, 2025 at 9:55 am
Yes, he’s running in circles alright. Impose a tariff and crash the stock market, fly to the golf course, impose more tariffs, then return and lift the tariffs because they crashed the bond market, then fly back to the golf course. Then talk tough about China while China takes advantage of his damage to the US economy, then fly to the UFC match where people get kicked in the head, and feel at home because he acts like he was kicked in the head.
Ocean Joe
April 13, 2025 at 9:59 am
Smart Japan, selling off treasuries while they were negotiating with the dunce. Luckily one of his billionaire buddies made a call, since none of his yes men will tell him playing fast and loose with tariffs (because GOP senators let him) has consequences.
Skeptic
April 13, 2025 at 11:20 am
If only Trump would go to bed instead of inflicting damage on the rest of us. Would have liked to see the cowardly lion go into the cage. But instead he stayed on the sideline paying others to beat people up for his amusement. The barbarian is no longer at the gate. Celebrate Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan all you like on this Palm Sunday, but they did not do much to advance civilization. For MAGA haters , that is probably the point.
Michael K
April 13, 2025 at 1:09 pm
We should know what this cost the US taxpayers. We do know it costs $3.4 million to get him from DC to Mar-a-lago, and some $20 million for his Superbowl stunt.
Looking for waste and fraud, thy name is Trump.
Peachy
April 13, 2025 at 2:40 pm
Yet never saying a word about Joe’s weekend adventures at his Delaware beach house. What was that cost?
Skeptic
April 14, 2025 at 12:33 pm
You know that it was far, far less. But keep on playing the game, eventually you may sore a point.
Bill
April 14, 2025 at 11:39 am
He does seem to like seeing people in cages and hanging around with tough guys while he personally gets all butt hurt when someone on TV doesn’t like him. What a maroon.