Vice President JD Vance mentioned in a podcast episode that aired Wednesday that the backlash to a UFC fighter’s false and offensive comment about former first girl Michelle Obama was “totally disproportionate” to the remark itself.
Speaking on “The Joe Rogan Experience” in an episode that taped Tuesday, Vance recalled attending his first reside UFC occasion final month and was marveling at the submission holds. Rogan requested if Vance was extra shocked by the so-called armbars or by fighter Josh Hokit referring to the previous first girl as a person throughout his victory remarks at the White House.
“Definitely the armbar part,” Vance responded. “I work in politics. People say crazy stuff all the time, man.”
Rogan pushed again on the vp, noting the context was completely different for an occasion hosted at the White House. He added that Hokit makes related remarks as a part of a persona he has cultivated.
“He’s a very good fighter, first of all, but sometimes it’s not enough to get attention,” Rogan mentioned. “What Josh has done is created this persona, like this pro wrestling bad-guy persona.”
“Again, not the best thing to say at the White House. ‘Michelle Obama is a man’ is not the best thing to say,” he added.
“Fair,” Vance replied. “But the reaction to it to me was still totally disproportionate.” He later continued that “people lost their minds about it.”
Earlier within the interview, Rogan requested whether or not Vance would host a UFC occasion at the White House if he had been ever elected president. Vance demurred, saying, “I don’t know, man.”
Hokit made the false and offensive remark whereas thanking President Donald Trump after his victory at the White House-hosted UFC occasion, saying, “And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?”
The remark drew criticism, together with from some Trump supporters who had defended the White House-hosted occasion — which was billed as a part of the administration’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
UFC CEO and President Dana White referred to as the comment “nasty and false,” dismissing it as “nonsense.” The White House didn’t comply with go well with. In response to an inquiry from NCS’s Jake Tapper about Hokit’s feedback, White House communications director Steven Cheung mentioned the UFC fighter “had a great win last night. He showed toughness and the ability to pressure his opponent both on his feet and on the ground.”
Trump himself has ridiculed Obama. Earlier this yr, the president refused to apologize after posting after which deleting a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and the previous first girl as apes in a jungle, insisting he hadn’t seen the ultimate frames containing the offensive content material and blaming an unnamed staffer for the error.
The Democratic Party’s X account posted a picture of Obama smiling, writing: “Michelle Obama lives in their heads rent-free.”
At the time, NCS reached out to the previous first girl’s workplace for remark and didn’t obtain a response.