President-elect Donald Trump took time this weekend to relax and celebrate his election victory of November 5.
He attended the UFC event at Madison Square Garden in New York City with his billionaire friend Elon Musk amid excited and cheering fans.
Known as the “Combatant in Chief” among some mixed martial arts fans, Trump is friends with UFC President Dana White.
Trump sat between White and Musk most of the night, paying close attention to the fights. He even talked with fighters after their matches.
He entered the arena with loud music playing and waved to the crowd, who waved back. Trump enjoyed the event for several hours, watching five matches until after 1:30 a.m. on Sunday.
The highlight match was the heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. After the fight, which Jones won, he melted hearts when he took his belt and gifted it to the President-elect. Both men warmly shook hands and had a private moment or two.
Jon Jones hands his UFC heavyweight championship belt to President @realDonaldTrump 💪🏼🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/mrnu3QtB4L
— Margo Martin (@margomartin) November 17, 2024
Trump was not alone at the event. He was joined by House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, Elon Musk, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump plans to nominate for the Secretary of Health and Human Services position.
Pretty much Trump’s cabinet-in-waiting was there, including Trump’s choice for Chief of the powerful National Intelligence Agency, Ms Tulsi Gabbard.
Remember Madison Square?
On October 27, the Trump campaign hit troubled waters in this same Madison Square Garden when a comedian made fun of Puerto Rico, calling it a “floating island of garbage.”
During the storm, VP-elect JD Vance asked Americans to “chill and take a joke from time to time.”
President-elect Donald Trump has arrived at MSG for #UFC309 pic.twitter.com/vVOjIkOsJW
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 17, 2024
Many of the fans in the arena on Saturday wore the campaign red “Make America Great Again” hats, although the campaigns are over. The UFC fans are mostly seen as Republican supporters and part of Trump’s hardcore political base.
One of them, Sean Allen, 22, traveled from upstate New York to see the fight. He borrowed a MAGA hat from a friend because he heard Trump might be at the event. “I’d never voted before,” Allen said, noting that he decided to vote for Trump and was surprised by the outcome: “When I woke up, I was like, OK, wow, Trump won big.”
The former President has been appointing individuals to his cabinet, many of whom have been controversial. Critics are concerned that his choices may lead to an administration dominated by strong American nationalists, potentially prioritizing national interests over global cooperation and peace, without the presence of moderating influences.
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