Former President Donald Trump received thunderous applause at UFC 302 in New Jersey on Saturday night, one of his first public appearances since a New York jury convicted him of 34 felony counts.
Trump walked into the venue with Dana White, the president of UFC, to a standing ovation. He shook hands with attendees and greeted the judges before taking his seat.
Videos posted to social media showed the crowd chanting, “F*** Joe Biden” and “We want Trump.”
President Donald Trump is in the building! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸#UFC302 | LIVE on TNT Sports & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/5GxqLnWbzI
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) June 2, 2024
🇺🇸 Donald Trump 🤝 Aaron Rodgers 🤝 Theo Von 🇺🇸#UFC302 | LIVE on TNT Sports & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/gaU20Djtv2
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) June 2, 2024
The former president also received recognition from multiple fighters during the event.
“President Trump, you’re the man, bro. It is a damn travesty what they are doing to you. I’ll be donating to you, my man. Let’s get it done,” Sean Strickland, the former UFC middleweight champion, said in his victory speech from the octagon.
BREAKING: Former UFC champion Sean Strickland shouts out Trump in his post-fight victory speech.
“President Trump, you’re the man… It is a d*mn travesty what they are doing to you. I’ll be donating to you, my man.” pic.twitter.com/aXeGE97kQe
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) June 2, 2024
WATCH: After UFC fighter Kevin Holland wins the match, he goes and shakes President Trumps hand.
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) June 2, 2024
UFC middleweight Kevin Holland, who snapped his opponent’s arm during his match, climbed out of the octagon after his win to talk to Trump.
“I just apologized because the first time I hopped out of the cage when he was there I didn’t speak to him,” Holland reportedly said.
On Thursday, Trump was convicted on 34 counts in the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. After the verdict was read, Trump slammed the trial as a politically motivated setup. The former president said the “real verdict” will be delivered on Election Day.
America has never seen a movement like this.
“We want Trump” chants breaking out everywhere pic.twitter.com/74oWIDUODD
— 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸 (@Travis_4_Trump) June 2, 2024
“This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” Trump said. “It’s a rigged trial, a disgrace. They wouldn’t give us a venue change. We were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people. And they know what happened here. And everybody knows what happened here.”
President Joe Biden’s campaign, which polling shows is behind Trump in several battleground states, used the verdict in Trump’s trial as a fundraising pitch.
“The stakes have never been higher — democracy, personal rights and freedoms, and the future of our economy are all on the line,” one email said.
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On Friday, Trump referred to himself as a “POLITICAL PRISONER OF A FAILING NATION” in a post on his social media site, Truth Social. He said he would “SOON BE FREE” after the November election.
“After sitting for five weeks through that Rigged Trial in Lower Manhattan, which was surrounded by vast but unnecessary numbers of New York’s Finest in order to keep law abiding MAGA patriots away, and as I watched insignificant numbers of fully funded Radical Left troublemakers, with brand new and gleaming professionally made signs, screaming and cursing from areas said to be closed to us, and all others, I realized that Reason, Truth, and Love of our Country is no longer a force of Good and Change. These are Dark Days in America!” Trump wrote.
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