President Trump, a few of his cupboard members and his adviser Elon Musk sat ringside in Miami late Saturday night time on the Final Combating Championship occasion — a spectacle of violence, throbbing music and cheering crowds that the president has lengthy admired.
It’s the second U.F.C. occasion that Mr. Trump has attended since he was elected for a second time in November, and the primary of his presidency. Not like World Wrestling Leisure occasions, U.F.C. matches aren’t staged.
Mr. Trump has been a fan of U.F.C. fights for years. He attended one in late 2019 in New York Metropolis throughout his first presidency. And he introduced the chief government of U.F.C., Dana White, onstage to talk throughout his victory speech on election night time in 2024.
However the scene on Saturday was emblematic of a president who’s more and more emboldened, brazen and inspiring of shows of power to hold out his agenda, notably on immigration and crime.
Mr. Trump walked into the Kaseya Middle to the booming sounds of the Child Rock track “American Unhealthy Ass” and to sustained, thunderous applause from the group. He sat subsequent to Mr. Musk, who had introduced considered one of his 14 kids. They sat with the F.B.I. director, Kash Patel; Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a former senator from Florida; the director of nationwide intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard; and Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his spouse, the actress Cheryl Hines. Additionally within the Trump entourage was Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas.
When Mr. Trump first arrived, he tried to shake Mr. Kennedy’s hand; Mr. Kennedy was trying within the different path. Mr. Trump then walked previous the outstretched hand of Ms. Hines, shifting his gaze previous her totally regardless of showing to see her.
Ms. Hines held up her hand in confusion and checked out her husband. Mr. Kennedy introduced Ms. Hines over to say hiya to Mr. Trump a number of moments later, and so they spoke cordially, however the obvious snub had already ricocheted throughout social media.
Mr. Trump stayed for the 5 most important card fights, which lasted till roughly 1 a.m. Sunday.
After the primary two fights, the winners scaled the octagonal fence across the ring and opened their arms to the group like gladiators. Mr. Trump pointed at them and smiled approvingly. Mr. Musk reposted on X, the social media web site he owns, video of a brutal punch thrown by the California-born Dominick Reyes in opposition to Nikita Krylov, a Ukrainian fighter, that shortly ended their bout, the primary of the night time that Mr. Trump witnessed.
Mr. Reyes posed for pictures with Mr. Trump outdoors the ring after his victory.
Within the second battle, Bryce Mitchell, an Arkansas-born fighter and a vocal supporter of Mr. Trump for a few years, was overwhelmed by his opponent, Jean Silva, a Brazilian.
Earlier this 12 months, Mr. Mitchell confronted a firestorm of criticism, together with from Mr. White, after he praised Adolf Hitler as a “good man” who “fought for his nation.” Mr. White referred to as the feedback “disgusting,” however Mr. Mitchell was not punished, with Mr. White citing free speech as the rationale. He later apologized for the feedback.
Since his first Republican presidential marketing campaign in 2016, Mr. Trump has included a number of the pageantry of wrestling and U.F.C. into his rallies, from playlists to dramatic stage entrances. Mr. Trump’s 2024 marketing campaign made expansive use of his many years of internet hosting skilled wrestling occasions and U.F.C. occasions as a on line casino proprietor, and the adoration lots of the followers have for him.
Saturday night time was a glimpse into the cultural and pro-Trump ecosystem that helped vault Mr. Trump again into workplace. Joe Rogan, the wildly well-liked Texas-based podcaster who carried out an hourslong interview with Mr. Trump on the finish of the 2024 marketing campaign, sat close to Mr. Trump.
Flying aboard Air Drive One for a short flight from Palm Seashore, Fla., to Miami earlier than the battle, Mr. Trump related attending a battle to per week of commerce fights that despatched monetary markets spiraling.
“So we’re going to the battle,” Mr. Trump stated. “We’ve numerous fights going all over the world, and I feel we now have a number of excellent news coming quickly about a few of these fights, and we’ll see the way it goes. Nevertheless it’s been a it’s been an attention-grabbing weekend. I feel we now have some fairly excellent news approaching a number of the conflicts.”
