The White House offered words of praise for a UFC fighter’s victory at the South Lawn cage match on Sunday evening, but has yet to condemn or weigh in on an insult he made about former First Lady Michelle Obama.
In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, conducted in the ring with President Donald Trump and thousands of others watching in the makeshift arena, Josh Hokit said, “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right America.”
The comment has drawn condemnation from figures on the right including Dave Portnoy, while the UFC’s Dana White told Time, “Everyone knows my position on free speech but I hate that kind of nonsense.”
Hokit’s comment is the latest in a long line of racist conspiracy theories about the Obamas, including claims that the former president was not born in the United States. Donald Trump advanced that claim earlier in his career when he waged a campaign to obtain Obama’s birth certificate.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. But CNN’s Jake Tapper reported that when he asked White House Communications Director Steven Cheung for comment, Cheung replied about Hokit, “He had a great win last night. He showed toughness and the ability to pressure his opponent both on his feet and on the ground.” Tapper noted that the White House protests when there are insults directed at First Lady Melania Trump.
Democrats seized on the remark, with Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) pointing to Paramount+’s exclusive rights to the event. He wrote on X, “So is this the kind of trash we can expect from @paramountplus (and @cbs) now?”
Paramount CEO David Ellison was among those who attended the event, held in a giant arena constructed on the South Lawn of the White House.
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