President-elect Donald Trump made a high-energy return to Madison Square Garden last night, stepping into the arena like a heavyweight champion to attend the UFC 309 fight. His arrival was met with deafening cheers from the packed audience.
The future and former president electrified the sell-out crowd accompanied by an impressive group of celebrity supporters.
Trump’s entourage included billionaire Elon Musk, UFC CEO Dana White, Donald Trump Jr., Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, recently nominated HHS head Robert Kennedy Jr., conservative personality Dan Bongino, intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, and government efficiency head Vivek Ramaswamy.
The arena jumbotron displayed a tribute video celebrating Trump, featuring a montage of key moments from his career, including his iconic fist pump after surviving an assassination attempt in October.
Shortly after Trump’s entrance, the crowd spontaneously erupted into chants of “USA! USA!” that echoed throughout the arena.
Later in the night, heavyweight champion Jon Jones took a moment in his victory speech to acknowledge Trump.
“I just want to say a big, big thank you to President Trump for being here,” Jones said, prompting the crowd to chant “USA! USA!” once more. Jones then approached Trump to shake his hand and allowed him to hold the championship belt.
Upon his arrival at the Garden, Trump immediately greeted UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan, engaging in an animated conversation that lasted nearly a minute.
“If people at home could hear the sound in this room right now. It is so loud!” Rogan exclaimed during the fight broadcast as Trump entered. “It’s always loud when he comes in, but now that he’s won [the election], now that he’s the president again, oh my God!”
Rogan, who had endorsed Trump on his podcast just days before the election, appeared visibly excited by the president-elect’s presence.
Ahead of Trump’s arrival, the Secret Service was seen finalizing security measures, while some fans showed their support by donning red Make America Great Again hats.
Trump’s close friendship with UFC CEO Dana White was also evident throughout the evening.
White, a vocal supporter of the president-elect, delivered a spirited speech during Trump’s election night victory celebration. He has been a staunch ally, having spoken on Trump’s behalf at the Republican National Convention and supported him publicly on many occasions.
Trump has become a familiar figure at MSG in recent weeks. Just last month, he held a massive rally at the arena that drew a crowd of over 20,000 supporters, further solidifying his presence as a political and cultural heavyweight.
{Matzav.com}
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