Donald Trump made a triumphant return to Madison Square Garden Saturday night as the president-elect, basking in the thunderous applause of fans at UFC 309 just weeks after holding a historic rally inside the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Trump has frequently attended UFC events, but this was his first since winning the election Nov. 5 over Vice President Kamala Harris. The sold-out crowd of 19,500 applauded and cheered as he waved to the crowd, entering with UFC boss Dana White.
Anticipation built up all week that Trump would appear at the fight, and rumors were confirmed by Margo Martin, Trump’s deputy director of communications, who shot video of the President-elect entering his jet to travel to New York.
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FILE – Then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Mint Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
A photo from inside the jet showed Trump watching the preliminary fights alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who he named earlier this week as his pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services.
Kennedy, who began the 2024 campaign as a Democratic candidate, suspended his bid and joined forces with Trump in August, becoming a powerful surrogate and a close confidante in the final months of the race.
Other key members of Trump’s team were there. Vivek Ramaswamy, an early 2024 Republican presidential candidate who dropped out of the race and threw his support behind Trump, tweeted out a picture of him with Kid Rock at the Madison Square Garden fight. It was not clear if they flew with Trump or traveled separately.
Ramaswamy and Elon Musk have been appointed to run what Team Trump is calling the Department of Government Efficiency, which intends to root out trillions of dollars in waste and fraud in the federal budget.
Trump and White are longtime friends, the latter making several appearances during Trump’s campaign leading up to the election.
DONALD TRUMP HEADS TO UFC 309, EXPECTED TO RECEIVE RAUCOUS CHEERS AFTER ELECTION WIN
White, who said Trump is a “big fan” of mixed martial arts, was coy about rumors Trump was heading to the Garden during an interview with TMZ Sports.
“I think that anything is possible,” White said with a smile. “Who knows? He could pop in.”
White added that a majority of his organization’s fan base has shown love to Trump over the years.
Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Former President Donald Trump talks with UFC President Dana White during the fight between Cesar Almeida (red gloves) and Roman Kopylov (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
“When you think about fighter walkouts, whenever a fighter walks out to the [octagon], I mean, the two biggest that actually shake the arena are President Trump and Conor McGregor,” White said. “If he comes [Saturday] night, it will definitely be fun.”
Trump showed up at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for UFC 302 in June, where a thunderous applause rained down from the crowd as well.
Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, who is back in the octagon after more than two years since his last fight, is a noted Trump supporter and hoped he would be in attendance.
“I did see Trump, and he said, “I’ll either be there on Nov. 16 because we won the election, or, if I lost, I’ll be depressed, and I won’t show up.’ Obviously, he won the election, so it sounds like he’s going to be there,” Chandler said.
Chandler added that winning his fight in front of Trump would be an “honor.”
Dana White speaks next to Republican presidential nominee former U.S. President Donald Trump during his rally for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, in Palm Beach County Convention Center, in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 6, 2024. (Brendan McDermid / Reuters)
Trump’s Oct. 27 rally at Madison Square Garden was a momentous event in his campaign, and featured a lineup of speakers that rivaled a political convention.
Dozens of elected leaders, Trump’s sons, Don Jr . and Eric, wife Melania, Elon Musk, and running mate JD Vance all spoke before Trump took the stage. The rally drew a packed house and thousands more supporters milled about on the streets outside the legendary arena.
White also spoke at the MSG rally, warning voters that Harris is “status quo” for an America he believed was in desperate need of change.
“She can get your party’s nomination without even facing voters,” White said. “What else? What else can she offer the American people other than vague promises and no plan?
“She talks a lot about the need for change and her hope for the future. Hope and change. Does that sound familiar? She can use the old Obama playbook, but she’s not Obama, and she is no agent of change. She is the sitting vice president of the United States right now. What she hopes is voters will focus on the future because she doesn’t want us looking at the last four years to see what we really need to change.”
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives to speak at a campaign event at Nassau Coliseum, Wednesday, Sept.18, 2024, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Chandler is a part of the co-main event for UFC 309 and will fight Charles Oliveira. Jon “Bones” Jones also enters the octagon after a long hiatus and will be an overwhelming favorite over Stipe Miocic.
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