Donald Trump had his tacky birthday party on the White House lawn yesterday. A bunch of people I never heard of had fights in front of a crowd of rich people who did not get rained on, unfortunately, but they did manage to demonstrate how low-class they were.
Yet if the event was intended as a celebration of American strength and exceptionalism, it also repeatedly descended into something cruder. The most striking example came after prospect Josh Hokit stopped Derrick Lewis in the second round of their heavyweight bout. After exiting the cage to present Trump with a necklace at ringside, Hokit delivered a rambling post-fight interview that veered from praise for the president to religion before concluding with the false conspiracy claim that “Michelle Obama is a man.”
The remark, one of the oldest and most persistent smears directed at the former first lady, drew cheers from some sections of the crowd and bewilderment from others. Even on a night that had already blurred the line between civic ceremony, political rally and pay-per-view entertainment, Hokit still found a way to lower the level of discourse.
Hokit’s comments were not the evening’s only political barb. When former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley faced Canada’s Aiemann Zahabi, the bout took on a nationalistic fervor. Trump donned a white “USA” hat cageside while chants of “U-S-A!” rang out from sections of the crowd. At various points spectators shouted “Canada is the 51st state!” – echoing Trump’s repeated taunts about annexing America’s northern neighbor – while others urged O’Malley to “eat” his opponent.
He got the party he wanted, but not the party he deserved.
Please, make these people go away.
I actually saw one of the fights last night because Sportsnet up here played it, even though the actual fighting was supposed to be aired up here on the Sportsnet+ streaming service up here. Both fighters were Americans, but towards the end of short lived fight some people were chanting “USA! USA!” Go figure.
I watched about 5 minutes all told of the couple of hours of yakking beforehand. Jon Anik, one of the UFC talking heads, read at one point off of some plaque in the White House hoping no crooks would ever hold the office of President. It was too late a long, long time before he was born, but I still rolled my eyes at him saying that with Trump in office.
Joe Rogan is starting to look very weird. Been taking too much HGH according to one person I saw online.
I had seen a segment of Rogan criticizing the event beforehand, something about not being in a controlled environment at a set temperature amongst other things. But then there he is at said event holding a microphone, wearing an absurdly short tie, and looking like a Macy’s Thanksgiving parade balloon character.
With the money he now has Rogan could tell Dana White to shove it if he really had any guts. And White would probably back down because Rogan has been associated with the UFC so long.
@timgueguen HGH: hippo growth hormone?
I had heard rain and thunderstorms were about to hit DC so I celebrated prematurely.
It would have served him right if the skies had opened over the White House .
The earth should open up under the White House and swallow them all up.
@ ^ birgerjohansson : Yet more proof there really is NO god. Also Trump not having been hit by lightning yet.
Hey, Bothsiderist, anti-Democratic party mob, anyone think this ugly shitshow spewing hate outside and inside the ruins of the White House would be happening if Kamala was POTUS? Or if Bien was POTUS or any democratci party candidate was POTUS. No. It clearly wouldn’t be.
The lie that the two USoA political parties are remotely the same thereby disproven yet a-fucking-gain.
This makes me think of frat boys. And why I was disinclined to join a fraternity during college.
I know more about Trump’s Kayfabe event than I ever…ever!…wanted or needed to know. I saw a little bit of a clip of the announcer…what a seedy lowbrow joke. Now, if Dumpster had donned a red-white-and-blue singlet for a round or two that would be newsworthy, though still not watchable. I’m sure he would have won.,
The picture of him on the BBC news website is so revoltingly smug that it makes my stomach churn.
The picture of him on the BBC news website is so revoltingly smug that it makes my stomach churn.
If Michelle Obama really felt she was actually a man, there’s nothing wrong with that. Then Mr Michelle could enter UFC fights and beat up Hokit for pay. It’s not worth bothering with him otherwise. But it would let Americans join Michelle in having a good laugh at Trump’s expense!
America was never a sane country, but now it’s gone way overboard with utter stupidity and cruelty. I’m done with this country for good.
I could have done without that mental image. :-(
Like it or not, this is who we are to the rest of the world.
“the ruins of the White House” is very evocative, but also very false, StevoR.
—
I took a look, what I see is just ageing-related stuff.
No obvious signs of HGH overuse.
He went bald, too.
That’s just nasty speculation by haters.
(Well, at least it’s not just women who are judged by their looks)
[mild rant]
That refers to the United States of America, not to Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, or Venezuela.
Its inhabitants tend to imagine they are the only Americans, and I can’t dispute that’s a bit insane.
Ah well. Arrogance, that is.
They’ve arrogated a whole continent’s demonymic and toponymic identity.
Which is why I call them USAnians. To distinguish them from other Americans.
Jphn Moprales @17
I think US Insanians would be more appropriate.
[Still, I do not fall to the fallacy of division; PZ is exemplary]
@ John Morales : ““the ruins of the White House” is very evocative, but also very false, StevoR.”
is it false? The White House consists of more than just the familiar West Wing. Trump has the historic tho’ less familiar east wing demolished with it being suppsoedly rebuilt as a ballroom. So yeah, runs or half ruined anyhow. Saying the White House is just the West Wing is a bit like saying that the America is only the USA as a commonly understood shorthand I guess..
@9 robro : “Now, if Dumpster had donned a red-white-and-blue singlet for a round or two ..”
Better if he donned comiucally oversized shoes a round red nose and well, he already has the facepaint albiet an atypical colour.
That would serve as an apt visual metaphor and may even be unsubtle enough for the MAGAts even if his humour is unintentional and bad rather than good hearted,
The world is laughing at him not with him and the USA will never be seen the same way or have the same respect it had before.
StevoR, your protestations are feeble.
(sigh)
Therefore the ruins of the White House perforce must consist of more than just the familiar West Wing.
Do they?
Here, see these current(ish) images:
https://abcnews.com/US/new-satellite-imagery-shows-white-houseufc-structure-ballroom/story?id=133519341
Point being, you speak in hyperbole, I speak in truth, StevoR.
But that is EXACTLY what you did; you certainly did not make that distinction when you (I quote) wrote “the ruins of the White House“.
BTW, the gilding of the walls and whatnot sure is on the nose.
‘Ruins’ however is not the right term.
There is much to hate about Rogan despite his defender in @16 and was the pedantic listing of countries in @17 necessary?
@ ^ John Morales : “Therefore the ruins of the White House perforce must consist of more than just the familiar West Wing.”
Must they?
If half of a building is ruined, I think its pretty fair to call it a ruin. Mileage varies I guess.
Trump also destroyed the Rose Garden paving it over.* Hés uglified so much of the White House and destroyed so much that was historic there.
Maybe it was a slight stretch but I think it was still pretty apt description.
.* See : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Rose_Garden#Renovations_performed_in_2025
If you say so, but that is not one of those things, and no, it was merely sufficient, not necessary.
He’s clearly a fairly successful interviewer.
(Can’t dispute its truth or relevance, only its necessity, eh? Heh)
—
I linked to images.
Be aware that the “White House” was a complex consisting of three main sections: the Executive Residence, the West Wing, and the East Wing.
(Not one house!)
It was a lie. Hyperbole. I said as much already.
(I am rather amused you linked to the White House Rose Garden to support your claim about the White House itself being in ruins. Is your house your garden?)
[gotta say, I do get a bit tired of being called ‘a defender’ of X when X is accused unfairly or without warrant and I call that out. No! You should by now know that, Hemidactylus. I no longer consider you honest by this. Disputing unfair claims or false claims or unwarranted claims is NOT defending the accused, it is adhering to truth and honesty. Unlike some]
@ 25. John Morales : “Is your house your garden?”
It is part of it yes.
If a house is partly in ruins, well, okay, maybe technically hyperbole to call it a ruin but still Trump has ruined a lot of the White House either by outright destruction or uglification so, anyhow. Saying “ruins of part of it” or “partially ruined” may be more accurate but its also longer and clunkier. Guess itis a subjecive call as to how much must be ruined before you call it a ruin or ruins plural as I did.
Either that or proper usage; for you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruins
It is really stretching it to call an ongoing renovation in its early stages ‘ruins’, you know.
Also, the proportion of the original built-up section being demolished is not very large.
Another image for you: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/1577/live/6e578470-ae63-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp
The language above made me post this! :-)
And how do you distinguish Aussies from the other inhabitants of continental Australia, the populace of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea)? Or do you just refer to them as Meganesians?
By their demonym, of course.
None of this generic ‘magenesians’ or ‘australasians’.
You know… Australian, Papua New Guinean, West Papuan, Melanesian, Fijian, Solomon Islander, Ni-Vanuatu, New Caledonian, Bougainvillean, Torres Strait Islander.
All different.
What was your intended gibe? ;)
(That was a really weak attempted exculpation for the arrogation)
So you shouldn’t have a problem with referring to the citizens of the US as “Americans.” That has been the accepted demonym for over two centuries.
According to your argument, the inhabitants of nearly every place in the Americas are “Americans” — except, apparently, those places that are territories of European countries since you didn’t list them (a wise decision since, I imagine, Greenlanders wouldn’t appreciate being called “American”).
Logically, it would follow that every inhabitant of the continent of Australia, which includes Papua New Guinea, Wester New Guinea, and the Aru Islands of Indonesia, are “Australians”.