new york
CNN
—
Dana White is stepping back from politics.
After sharing a hug with President-elect Donald Trump, the CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship said in an interview this week that he “doesn’t want anything to do with politics” and has no plans for future presidential campaigns. He said he would not cooperate.
“I’ll never do something like this again,” White told The New Yorker. “I want nothing to do with this shit. It’s disgusting. It’s disgusting.”
White played a key role in Trump’s second run to the White House, helping to turn millions of young male voters to Trump. White, a longtime friend of the president-elect, tripped over Trump on the campaign trail, praised him at the Republican National Convention and walked alongside Trump at Saturday’s UFC bout at Madison Square Garden. Ta.
Mr. White also used his connections to take advantage of Mr. Trump’s appearances on friendly right-leaning podcasts that reach millions of young listeners. White was candid about his motives for linking Trump to the so-called manosphere and broadcasters, saying the move was aimed at taking advantage of young voters.
“These podcasts give you a conversation and you, as a young child, can really see who Donald Trump is,” White told The New Yorker. “This is not the bullish attitude you hear from far-left media.”
In an interview with a UFC fan outside Madison Square Garden, young voters told CNN they decided to support Trump after listening to podcasts helmed by Joe Rogan and other influencers.
A recent Pew Research Center study found that 40% of 18- to 29-year-olds “regularly” get their news from these types of news influencers, many of whom skew conservative. There is. President Trump’s sit-down with Rogan, Theo Fung, Adin Ross, and Andrew Schultz, who boast millions of followers across social media platforms, allowed him to talk to young people without the scrutiny that usually comes with interviews with journalists. They were able to appeal directly to voters.
After Trump was re-elected this month, White attended Trump’s victory party in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the president-elect secured a venue in the early stages of White’s mixed martial arts venture. We talked about how we could help.
“There’s no one who deserves this more than him, and there’s no one who deserves this more than his family. This is what happens when machines come after you,” White told Trump at an election night party. talked about Mr. “This is karma, guys. He deserves this. They deserve it as a family.”
But White’s surprising decision to step back from politics altogether is a blow to Republicans hoping to continue leveraging the entertainment giant’s platform. A spokesperson for President Trump did not respond to a request for comment on White’s decision.
Still, even if the UFC boss steps back from future political activities, he remains firmly in Trump’s corner even when he returns to the White House.
“Donald Trump is as tough and badass as anyone,” White told The New Yorker. “You just hope you’re one quarter of Donald Trump, the guy who got shot seven times in the head with a high-powered rifle with a bad scope.”
