On Saturday night, UFC 290 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the headline event of International Fight Week, which began on July 3rd and wrapped up on Sunday. Thousands of raucous fans and celebrities were on hand to see the spectacle and to watch several of the biggest names in the sport, including Dricus Du Plessis, Alexander Volkanovski, and Yair Rodriguez duke it out.
However, the most electric moment of the night came before the action in the octagon began. Fans know that events like UFC 290 will bring in celebrities, but no one was prepared for what happened next.
As Kid Rock’s “Devil Without a Cause” blared from the T-Mobile Arena’s sound system, 45th President Donald Trump, flanked by UFC boss Dana White strutted into the arena en route to his guest seat with White. Needless to say, the crowd went wild.
As Trump triumphantly marched to his seat, throngs of fans chanted USA USA, and the former president and GOP front-runner for 2024 gave high fives, shook hands, and waved to the adoring crowd. It was truly a patriotic, American moment.
Dana White is a staunch supporter of former president Trump and a friend as well. White has never wavered in his support, speaking at both the 2016 and 2020 Republican National Conventions in support of the President. White will likely appear at the 2024 RNC, though that remains to be seen.
President Trump took the opportunity to visit and take pictures with Joe Rogan, Mel Gibson, and celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Besides the fight, Trump was in Nevada to speak at the Calvary Chapel in Las Vegas, where he took the podium for forty minutes and fired several warning shots at current President Joe Biden.
During the speech, the former President said: “I wouldn’t have said this three weeks ago. I wouldn’t have said it. I was actually very kind to him. I was very kind to him, but now we can’t be kind anymore because the gloves are off. The jar has been opened … He’s totally compromised.”
While Trump could be referring to Biden’s declining mental state, which is clearly compromised and appears to be worsening, this time he was referring to the alleged scurrilous activities Biden and his son are possibly involved in.
While touching on such issues as immigration, crime, and the economy, President Trump saved his most scathing remarks for Biden, claiming that he has: “taken millions of dollars from other countries like China.” Trump continued with a reference to one of his most well-known nicknames in “crooked Hillary,” as he continued speaking about the Biden family: “I don’t like doing the same word for two people. We’re using the word crooked for Joe Biden because Joe Biden is the most crooked president in the history of our country by a factor of hundreds. He’s a crook.”
While Biden claims innocence and no knowledge of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, emerging evidence suggests otherwise, and the former president hammered on that point. Trump was correct about the former Secretary of State and possibly is correct about the current president.
The timing and location of Trump’s speech are of particular importance, as Nevada is a nut the former president has yet to be able to crack, losing the state by three points in 2016 and 2020. However, as is his habit, he isn’t giving up. He said: “We have a big job to do. This has been a hard state. I really believe it’s a Republican state.”
Donald Trump will indeed need to swing Nevada in 2024 if he is going to take back the White House. The rousing welcome he received at T-Mobile Arena could also be a good sign that Nevada is seeking a change.
Featured image screen grab from embedded YouTube video
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