Trump panders to the ‘manosphere’ in rare public sighting since election win

New York: Donald Trump returned to Madison Square Garden for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the weekend, raising his fist to an ecstatic crowd that chanted “USA” as giant screens showed the president-elect entering the site of his inflammatory October 27 rally.

Trump, who flew here from Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday (US time) to attend the mixed martial arts show, strode into the venue with his campaign co-chair, Howard Lutnick; his ally and health secretary pick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr; and Elon Musk, the billionaire who has become his “first buddy”. The president-elect’s entourage for the event, UFC 309, also included House Speaker Mike Johnson, musical artist Kid Rock and Dana White, the UFC chief executive and longtime Trump backer.

As Trump walked to his seat, the crowd roared while screens projected footage of Fox News announcing his election victory this month. The montage concluded with the red number 45 displayed and then 47, a reference to his non-consecutive presidential terms interrupted by President Joe Biden’s White House tenure.

Shortly before Trump took his seat next to Musk at the side of the octagon, YMCA began to blast in the arena, and people leapt from their seats to perform the dance, a staple of Trump’s raucous campaign events. Attendees repeatedly described the atmosphere as electric, revelling in both their excitement for gladiator-style fighting and Trump’s recent victory.

Trump’s appearance at the fight – and the venue – was steeped in symbolism. Trump and his team believe the UFC and White played a major role in boosting his image with the male voters key to his White House comeback. When Trump declared victory in the early morning hours of November 6, the three people he invited to speak were his running mate, a top aide and “a tough guy” – White. And returning to the Garden – the site of the racism-filled rally where a comic drew widespread criticism for calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” – amounted to a sort of victory lap, proof that an event that some pundits had predicted could doom Trump’s electoral chances had not proven an obstacle after all.

President-elect Donald Trump poses for a photo with Dana White, Kid Rock and “first buddy” Elon Musk at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York.Credit: AP

The trip marked only the second time Trump has left Florida since he was elected president, following his mid-week visit to Capitol Hill and the White House.

Trump’s support for the UFC was central to his multiyear effort to expand his base by reaching younger men of all ethnicities. Trump’s campaign-trail comments on sex and gender at times included sexist jabs. At one point, he welcomed a rallygoer’s insult that cast his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, as a prostitute. In an election defined by the gender gap, Trump won 55 per cent of men but only 45 per cent of women, according to exit polls.

Throughout his campaign, he expressed his love of combat sports and used explicit language on the trail. At times, he pandered to the often-misogynistic online fringe known as the “manosphere”, appearing on the live stream of Adin Ross, an influencer who has been banned from some tech platforms for repeatedly sharing offensive content. The strategy seemed to work: Trump saw big gains with men under the age of 29 and Hispanic men of all ages.

Trump’s relationship with the UFC also helped the septuagenarian TV showman tap into a new era of influencers who have millions of followers who are men under the age of 35. In March 2022, White encouraged Trump to begin to work with a crew of YouTube pranksters known as the NELK Boys.

Trump’s foray into the testosterone-fuelled corners of the internet culminated in late October with his interview with the world’s largest podcaster, Joe Rogan, who also works as a UFC colour commentator and whose podcast audience is reportedly 80 per cent male. During the conversation, Trump made false claims about the outcome of the 2020 election but also waxed about the history of his friendship with White and his opinions on the greatest fighter of all time. Trump greeted Rogan with a warm hug on Saturday night.

Trump and Musk’s expected arrival loomed over the night’s earlier matches. Following one fight, UFC combatant Jim Miller plugged “DOGE”, a nickname for Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, a hazy, non-governmental cost-cutting initiative. Miller also called for justice for Peanut, a celebrity squirrel whose euthanasia sparked outcry among Trump supporters. When Trump and his entourage finally entered the Garden shortly before 10pm, people rushed from the concession stands back into the packed stadium, tripping over each other to capture mobile footage of the entrance.

People hold a flag as President-elect Donald Trump arrives at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.Credit: AP

The audience – mostly men in their 20s and 30s – periodically broke out in “USA” chants throughout the undercard fights as they anxiously awaited the main event, a face-off between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.

After Jones secured the UFC heavyweight title just after 1am with a spinning back kick into Miocic’s ribs, he broke into a Trump dance and started another “USA” chant. He thanks the president-elect then squatted on the side of the ring to shake his hand.

Matt Mauriello, a 29-year-old from Long Island, said he was grateful that Trump was in attendance and that he was excited to see Musk, whom he praised for his efforts to promote freedom of speech through his ownership of X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.

“Dana White loves him,” Mauriello said. “I definitely love him as well.”

The atmosphere at the weekend’s other premier fighting event, Friday night’s Texas showdown between boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul and veteran Mike Tyson, also took a pro-Trump tone. One of Paul’s coaches wore a “Make America Healthy Again” hat to the match, a sign of support for Trump’s controversial choice of Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic, to serve as his Health and Human Services secretary. When cameras panned to Kennedy standing by Trump’s side on Saturday, the crowd broke into loud and sustained applause. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, Trump’s sons Donald Jr and Eric and the rapper Jelly Roll also attended.

President-elect Donald Trump looks on with Elon Musk, right, at a UFC 309 mixed martial arts flyweight title bout, on Saturday.Credit: AP

Trump’s relationship with the UFC goes back more than two decades. In 2001, he allowed the then-struggling franchise to host events at his now shuttered Taj Mahal casino. At the time, the sport was banned in many states, and many politicians decried it. The late Republican senator John McCain famously called it “human cockfighting”.

When Trump first ran for president, White stumped for him at conventions and on the campaign trail. During an interview on TMZ on Friday, White hinted that Trump might make an appearance at UFC 309. He said the fans’ applause for Trump’s walkouts were on par with their reaction to UFC champion Conor McGregor. The ovations for the two men, he said, “actually shake the arena”.

Five years ago, Trump received a more hostile reception during an appearance at a UFC bout during his first presidency. The crowd of New Yorkers booed him and a couple held up a sign that said “Impeach and Remove”.

But this time, under the strobe lights and the occasional puffs of smoke from vapes, some UFC fans waved an American flag and many sported red “Make America Great Again” hats with 47 embroidered on the side.

The Washington Post