NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump walked out to thunder from the standing-room-only crowd Saturday just before the start of the UFC fight card at Madison Square Garden.
So the winner of the recent elections combined two things he is passionate about: the fierce battles inside the octagon and the city of New York.
Trump was joined by UFC President Dana White, and the two took their seats by the Octagon to the tune of Kid Rock’s “American Bad Ass.”
The UFC released a series of videos about Trump’s road to taking back the White House, calling the production “the greatest comeback in American history,” as fans stood and cheered. praise
Trump, wearing a red tie, raised his fist to the crowd as the video ended.
The president-elect pumped his fists back and forth and did a short dance to the Village People’s “YMCA” just outside the octagon. Later, he raised his fist to the sky again while “Takin’ Care of Business” played.
Elon Musk, who was chosen by Trump to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, and Mike Johnson, the leader of the House of Representatives, joined the president-elect and White in the Garden, as did Robert Kennedy Jr., who was appointed secretary of health and health. Human Services in the next administration.
White flanked his ringside seat with White and Musk to his left, and politely applauded the winners of the fights. Besieged by photographers and close fans, Trump stopped to pose for photos with White, Musk and other acquaintances during breaks between fights. Trump even had a brief chat with country singer Jelly Roll after they shook hands. UFC fans wore red Trump hats and some posted banners with his image during halftime.
Trump shook hands with the UFC broadcast team, which included Joe Rogan.
Rogan hosted Trump on his podcast for hours in the final stages of the campaign before he won the election last week. Commentators for the pay-per-view broadcast later said, “the word festival doesn’t even begin to describe” the scene.
“The 47th president is in the building. Let’s go,” they said.
The MSG crowd would chant “USA! United States of America!” just before the start of the main card and then chanted again throughout the evening. After a one-year delay, Stipe Miocic had his chance at a third reign as heavyweight champion as he faced his current champion Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 309.
Trump has long been a fan of the UFC and often attends major fights. He promoted hypermasculine expressions as a hallmark of his campaign, as he sought to widen the gap between himself and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, among male voters.
Trump and his top aides embraced alpha-male terms, often accompanied by vulgar and degrading language.
During the campaign, Trump frequently appeared on podcasts, gaming platforms and at rallies with key supporters who described a vote for Trump as a way to show true masculinity. While Trump recorded a podcast with Rogan, who has also spoken about hypermasculinity, Harris did not make a similar appearance, citing a scheduling conflict.
Returning to Madison Square Garden meant revisiting the spot where a comedian caused a stir at a Trump rally last month by comparing between Puerto Rico and a “floating garbage island”. However, Trump still enjoys visiting New York, where he lived for decades, before moving to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump’s son Don Jr. also attended the fight.
With the exception of a day trip to Washington this week to meet for nearly two hours with President Joe Biden and speak separately with House Republicans, Trump has spent his time since winning he election in Mar-a-Lake. The club has hosted galas and reserved events throughout the week.
Trump has had a close relationship with White for more than two decades.
White held a UFC fight in 2001 at the Trump Taj Mahal, a former casino hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Trump has been a frequent presence in UFC fights since then, giving in his campaign in 2024 Trump recently appeared in fights with famous companions, such as White, musician Kid Rock and former host of Fox News Tucker Carlson. In 2018, during Trump’s first term, he and White starred in a UFC video describing the then-president as the “Fighter in Chief”.
As Trump has gripped the national Republican Party over the past decade, White’s personal political profile has grown dramatically. White spoke at the 2016 and 2020 Republican conventions, and when the party met in Milwaukee last July. He also addressed the crowd at Trump’s victory party in Florida early the morning after Election Day.
“This is what happens when the machine comes for you,” White said then. “What you’ve seen over the last few years is what it looks like: they couldn’t stop him. He keeps moving forward. “He doesn’t give up.”
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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generational artificial intelligence engine.
2024-11-17 04:31:00
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