Former President Donald Trump was warmly welcomed by a New York area crowd just two days after being convicted of 34 felony counts in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s controversial “hush money” case against him.
On Saturday evening, Trump attended UFC 302 in Newark, New Jersey, near his hometown of New York. Trump, who has regularly appeared at UFC pay-per-view events since becoming the first U.S. president to attend one in 2020, entered the Prudential Center accompanied by his son Donald Trump Jr., UFC President Dana White, musician Kid Rock, and journalist Tucker Carlson.
UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik noted that the New York metro area crowd gave the former president a standing ovation as he strolled into the arena, frequently pausing to shake hands with supporters. Upon reaching his seats, Trump took a moment to say hello to Anik, Joe Rogan, and former two-division UFC Champion Daniel Cormier at the commentary booth. The crowd then burst into chants of “USA” when the president responded with a fist pump as he was once again displayed on the stadium’s jumbotron.
WATCH:
DONALD TRUMP HAS ARRIVED! ??#UFC295 pic.twitter.com/tcREA2aTKd
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) November 12, 2023
“Boy, the round of applause he’s getting right now is pretty staggering,” Rogan said on the broadcast. “And you had to have imagined that’s what was going to happen.”
The event marked the first time that Trump had attended a UFC main card since March. During that month, he held two rallies earlier in the day and then sat cage-side at UFC 299 in Miami. Before that, he received a roaring ovation from fans at Madison Square Garden.
“UFC 302” was also Trump’s first public appearance since he was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a case plagued by political bias. The former president has vowed to appeal the verdict to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
Jorge Masvidal, a former UFC fighter who retired in April 2023, made a political statement that month by publicly commending Trump and GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis after his final welterweight match at the Miami Fight Night event.
In his first interview with Fox News since expressing his political support, Jorge Masvidal appeared on “One Nation” with Brian Kilmeade on Saturday. In part, he talked about his gratitude for living in the United States. Before the 20-year champ hung up his gloves following UFC 287 in his hometown, Masvidal dubbed Donald Trump the “greatest president in the history of the world.” He added that when he saw Trump sitting ringside of the octagon, he “had to say that to the world.”
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“First, let me say thank God for everything that I have, thank God that I even give this interview,” Masvidal said. “Thank God that I’m in the greatest country in the world, the United States, in the best state in the country, Florida. And I’m biased, the best city in the world, Miami.”
Masvidal also praised Florida politics and DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic. “Thank God the hate is not that bad in Florida because we have an amazing governor DeSantis that has fought against this like a fighter would,” he said. “You know, and it’s amazing that we have all this freedom and liberty in Florida, in Miami, and we could go out there and make money and be involved in businesses, you know, So I just thank God.”
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