UFC helped Trump look cool — but now less so
Attendees said Trump used to seem cool and relatable but that image has faded in his second term, especially after the Epstein files and the Iran war.
Where this was said
Street Interviews: Young Men at the UFC White House Event
At 7:12 · chapter starts 1:49
On the ground at Trump's UFC White House event, Astead Herndon finds a crowd that is more complicated than the image of a MAGA pep rally. Most of the young men he speaks with are frank: they came for the UFC, not for Trump [1] — Astead Herndon "Young men here for UFC, not Trump: Multiple attendees at the UFC White House event said they came primarily for the sport, not for Trump, t…" 03:57 . Several describe themselves as disappointed, pointing to Trump's failure to lower prices and his involvement in what they see as new foreign conflicts after promising the opposite. Gas prices come up again and again — 'I don't even want to fill my gas tank no more' — and the Epstein files are a live grievance, with attendees describing the lack of transparency as a specific betrayal. One attendee says he voted for Kanye West in the last election because both major-party candidates felt 'too extreme.' Another says he's eighteen and doesn't know if he would have voted for Trump if he'd been eligible. The picture that emerges is of young men who are drawn to UFC's cultural energy and credit Trump for legitimizing it, but who feel increasingly let down by the gap between his promises and his performance [2] — Astead Herndon "Top 3 grievances: gas, Iran, Epstein: Young men at the UFC event consistently cited gas prices, the Iran war, and lack of Epstein file tran…" 29:35 .
Street-Level Verdict: Young Men at the UFC Event
Young men at Trump's White House UFC event say they're there for the sport, not the president. But they still credit Trump for making UFC mainstream and bringing it to a 'historic place' — even as they express disappointment in his second term.
Young men here for UFC, not Trump
Multiple attendees at the UFC White House event said they came primarily for the sport, not for Trump, though they appreciated the atmosphere.
Gas, Iran, Epstein: The Three Breaks
Gas prices, the Iran war, and the Epstein files are the three issues young men at the UFC event cite for losing faith in Trump. Together, they form a picture of a president who promised economic relief and anti-war credibility and delivered neither.
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