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The White House offered words of praise for a UFC fight’s triumph astatine nan South Lawn cage lucifer connected Sunday evening, but has yet to condemn aliases measurement successful connected an reproach he made astir erstwhile First Lady Michelle Obama.
In his post-fight question and reply pinch Joe Rogan, conducted successful nan ringing pinch President Donald Trump and thousands of others watching successful nan makeshift arena, Josh Hokit said, “Michelle Obama is simply a man. Am I correct America.”
The remark has drawn condemnation from figures connected nan correct including Dave Portnoy, while nan UFC’s Dana White told Time, “Everyone knows my position connected free reside but I dislike that benignant of nonsense.”
Hokit’s remark is nan latest successful a agelong statement of racist conspiracy theories astir nan Obamas, including claims that nan erstwhile president was not calved successful nan United States. Donald Trump precocious that declare earlier successful his profession erstwhile he waged a run to get Obama’s commencement certificate.
The White House did not respond to a petition for comment. But CNN’s Jake Tapper reported that erstwhile he asked White House Communications Director Steven Cheung for comment, Cheung replied astir Hokit, “He had a awesome triumph past night. He showed toughness and nan expertise to unit his force some connected his feet and connected nan ground.” Tapper noted that nan White House protests erstwhile location are insults directed astatine First Lady Melania Trump.
Democrats seized connected nan remark, pinch Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) pointing to Paramount+’s exclusive authorities to nan event. He wrote connected X, “So is this nan benignant of trash we tin expect from @paramountplus (and @cbs) now?”
Paramount CEO David Ellison was among those who attended nan event, held successful a elephantine arena constructed connected nan South Lawn of nan White House.
