Donald Trump and the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, attended a UFC event in Miami on Saturday night as peace talks with Iran failed on the other side of the world. The president entered the Kaseya Center shortly after 9pm with members of his family and UFC chief Dana White, a longstanding supporter. Rubio was seated nearby, along with the US ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, the rapper Vanilla Ice and former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino.
The House Democrats' Foreign Affairs Committee condemned the president's absence from the negotiations, writing on X: "This is not serious leadership. It's amateur hour." The committee noted that Rubio and the special envoy for South and Central Asia had skipped the talks in Pakistan, which has no confirmed US ambassador, while tens of thousands of Americans were in harm's way and gas prices were rising.
Despite his falling approval ratings and the unpopularity of the war with Iran among the American public, Trump received a rousing welcome as a Kid Rock song played. He shook hands with fans and greeted the UFC broadcast team, including podcaster Joe Rogan. As he watched the fights, Vice-President JD Vance was telling reporters that the peace talks had failed. Trump showed little sign of concern, though he and Rubio conferred occasionally, at one point the secretary of state showing the president something on his phone.
Trump was particularly engaged by the fight between Paulo Costa and Azamat Murzakanov, telling the Brazilian winner: "You're a beautiful guy … You could be a model, you look so good." He also watched a bloody bout between Josh Hokit and Curtis Blaydes. Members of the Trump family present included Ivanka, Tiffany and Donald Jr, while Jared Kushner was with Vance in Pakistan for the failed negotiations.
Trump has long supported UFC and has announced a fight event at the White House on 14 June, his 80th birthday, as part of the United States' 250th anniversary. After Saturday's event, White said a fight involving Hokit had been added to the card at Trump's request. "President Trump built half of that fight, Rogan built the other half," he said.
